New Delhi- Sharing a word of caution on the latest online scam targeting desperate students and parents, Deputy Registrar Vijay Kumar of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) has advised aspirants to steer clear of fraudulent agents promising backdoor entries. "Admissions to IP University are strictly through a centralized process managed by the university itself, beware of unsolicited calls or messages from so-called consultants, and always verify details on the official website www.ipu.ac.in," Kumar emphasized, urging vigilance amid rising reports of such rackets.

In a shocking revelation, a criminal syndicate has swindled over Rs 1.69 crore from at least 32 families by falsely assuring admissions to premier GGSIPU-affiliated colleges via NRI and management quotas. According to a report published in Navbharat Times, the gang operated a bogus consultancy, 'Bright Education Academy,' from a rented office in Nehru Place, which they abruptly shut down before fleeing the scene. Victims, primarily parents of Class 12 graduates, were enticed through spam SMS and cold calls offering seats in high-demand courses like BTech, BBA, BCA, and LLB at top institutes.

One aggrieved parent shared a harrowing account: After their son cleared his board exams, an SMS in July promised NRI quota spots in elite IP University colleges. Directed to contact a woman named Lavanya, the family was summoned to the Nehru Place office, where demands for Rs 3.5 lakh were made upfront. Trusting the setup, they handed over Rs 2.5 lakh, only to receive fake receipts on the agency's letterhead.

The modus operandi was chillingly systematic. The seven-member gang, including two women, preyed on vulnerabilities by name-dropping renowned colleges such as Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology (MAIT), Vivekanand Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS), and Jagannath International Management School (JIMS). They issued counterfeit registration slips detailing "proposed courses" at JIMS Greater Noida and even dangled promises of inter-college transfers. Initial contacts spiked in July, with assurances of allotment letters by August 5, none ever arrived, and the scammers' phones soon went silent.

Tragically, even law enforcement wasn't immune. Delhi Police woman head constable Mukesh lost Rs 2.3 lakh on July 29 for her son's enrollment. Her complaint at Dwarka Cyber Police Station on August 25 triggered swift action, leading to the arrests of Ghaziabad-based Kushagra Shrivastava (35) and Chinmay Sinha (32). Raids yielded Rs 1.34 crore in cash, six mobile phones, a laptop, and incriminating documents.

The broader fallout emerged when the remaining 32 victims united to file a collective FIR at Kalkaji Police Station in South East Delhi. The case, transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), saw charges invoked under multiple IPC sections on October 22. Investigators plan to remand the duo for deeper interrogation, aiming to dismantle the entire network and apprehend the fugitives.