Rs 1,400-crore gone in just 9 days: Chinese national dupes 1,200 in Gujarat through football betting scam

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

betting scam involving a Chinese national who collaborated with people in Gujarat to develop a football betting application. As per a TOI report, this app managed to ensnare around 1,200 victims from north Gujarat, leading to a staggering loss of approximately Rs 1,400 crore in just a span of nine days.

The magnitude of the operation prompted the Gujarat police to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to unveil the mastermind behind this elaborate scheme. The trail ultimately led to Woo Uyanbe, hailing from China's Shenzhen region, who is suspected to have orchestrated the scam in the districts of Patan and Banaskantha.

The crime branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was first alerted to this fraud in June 2022, when it came to light that certain fraudsters were targeting individuals in both Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh through an app called «Dani Data.» The Agra police initiated an inquiry, leading the CID's crime team to uncover connections to several individuals in north Gujarat. Elaborating on the investigation, a CID officer stated, «Our inquiries revealed that the Chinese national had been present in India from 2020 to 2022.

During this time, he spent considerable time in Patan and Banaskantha districts, where he managed to entice numerous locals with promises of substantial wealth. In collaboration with his associates in Gujarat, he launched the app in May 2022, enticing users with the prospects of making bets and earning handsome returns.» The officer further highlighted that Uyanbe managed to siphon off an astonishing average of Rs 200 crore per day by targeting individuals ranging from 15 to 75 years of age, primarily using football games as a means of enticement.