In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 19-year-old aspiring cricketer from Chinchani (also referred to as Chinchali) village near Chikkodi in Karnataka’s Belagavi district was conned out of over ₹23.5 lakh by fraudsters posing as IPL team selectors.
The victim, Rakesh Yadure, was approached by individuals claiming to be associated with the Rajasthan Royals. The fraud began when Rakesh received a message on Instagram from a handle named ‘Sushant_srivastava1’, praising his performance in a State-level cricket tournament held in Hyderabad in May 2024. The message, received four months after the match, claimed that selectors had noticed his talent and offered him a place in the Rajasthan Royals squad, beginning with a request to fill out a form and pay ₹2,000.
Lured by promises of ₹4.8 lakh per match as match fees, Rakesh and his family ended up transferring ₹23.53 lakh between November 2024 and April 2025 through over 100 transactions via PhonePe, Google Pay, and bank transfers. The amounts ranged from ₹1,000 to ₹55,000, often requested for reasons like document verification, photo submissions, or form processing.
To lend credibility, the scammers added Rakesh to a WhatsApp group titled “Association of Cricket” and sent him fake selection forms. They also falsely claimed that internal politics hindered his selection and that certain payments were needed to fast-track the process.
Rakesh’s father, an NWKRTC security guard, borrowed money and even sold family gold to make the payments. The family approached the CEN Cyber Crime Police Station in Belagavi after realizing they had been duped. A formal complaint has been registered, and an investigation is underway.
Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar S. Guled has urged citizens not to fall prey to such scams. “Do not trust online messages claiming selection opportunities. Verify before making any payments,” he said.
