According to a tweet by The Hindu (Archive link), it has been claimed that a Chinese national named Woo Uyanbe, with the help of locals in Gujarat, is suspected of defrauding around 1200 people of a total of Rs 1400 crore through a football betting app in the Patan and Banaskantha districts. Allegedly, he absconded after falling victim to the scam facilitated by a digital application. The Gujarat Police is currently investigating the incident.
The Hindu’s tweet was quoted by the propaganda journalist Ravish Kumar (Archive link), who gave an interview to Qatar-funded media outlet Al Jazeera, which is often found promoting hate narratives against India. He wrote, “the so-called ‘pro-government’ media and the online propaganda machinery were preoccupied with distractions, a Chinese national was able to enter Gujarat unnoticed. He established an app there, swindled an enormous sum of 1400 crores, and vanished without detection. When China posed a threat at the border, it escaped our attention. We failed to acknowledge it. China intrudes upon our borders, while simultaneously executing a 1400 crore scam within Gujarat? What is the reality behind all this?”
The claim has garnered attention within left-leaning circles. A social media account known for its left propaganda, named Rants&Roasta (Archive link), stated that in the aftermath of banning Chinese apps, a Chinese individual arrives in Gujarat, develops an application, reportedly dupes Rs. 1400 crore from approximately 1200 individuals, and then departs for China.
Additionally, journalist Mahesh Langa (Archive link) from The Hindu also asserted that a Chinese citizen had traveled to Gujarat and allegedly defrauded around 1200 people using a football betting app in the districts of Patan and Banaskantha.
Furthermore, Sridhar Ramaswamy (Archive link), the national coordinator of the All India National Committee, made similar claims without confirming the accuracy of the information. He accused the Gujarat police of endorsing the App Dani Data and raised questions about the source of instructions guiding the police in this alleged propaganda.
Another Twitter account named as OSINT Updates (Archive link), and self-identified as a journalist based on their Twitter bio, also reiterated the same assertion.
In the course of our comprehensive fact-checking procedure, an official statement issued by the CID branch of Gujarat came to our attention. This statement addresses the widespread rumors that have been circulating on various social media platforms concerning the Dani Data App. The official statement contradicts the claim that has been propagated, which asserts the involvement of a Chinese national in orchestrating a fraudulent scheme through a football betting app.
According to the provided official statement, the fraudulent operation unfolded through a football fantasy gaming application known as DANI-DATA. The victims were enticed to invest in an application labeled DANIDATA, which promised a guaranteed return of 101%, accompanied by a 0.75% profit. This profit was contingent upon the outcome of a football match with a specific score of 3:3. Regrettably, the trust of these investors was exploited, as they were denied the return of their initial investments as promised.
The investigation further revealed that the fraudulent activities linked with the Dani Data application transpired during the period from December 2021 to June 2022. A total of 1175 individuals were ensnared in this criminal scheme, resulting in a defrauded sum of Rs 3,54,64,8288. In response, the State Cyber Crime CID took action by freezing 10 bank accounts linked to this criminal activity. The cumulative amount frozen in these accounts amounts to Rs. 16,60,76,746/-.
Contrary to the circulating media reports alleging the involvement of a Chinese national in a massive Rs. 1400 crore fraud in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat, the investigative findings reveal a different reality. The actual amount of defrauded money is Rs. 3,54,64,828 from a total of 1175 victims. To address this crime, the State Cyber Crime CID has frozen 620 bank accounts, collectively amounting to Rs. 16,60,76,746/-.
Furthermore, the investigation definitively refutes the existence of the alleged Chinese individual in Gujarat. The individual in question, purportedly known as Wu Chjanbo or Chamber, is identified as originating from the Shenzhen province of China. Investigations indicate that this individual had visited and made investments in Delhi, India, between 2017 and 2019. Notably, there is no documented presence of this individual in any part of Gujarat during that timeframe. Subsequent to 2019, there is no evidence to support claims of this individual returning to India. It is worth noting that the fraudulent activities took place between December 2021 and June 2022.
Furthermore, the ongoing investigation has led to the apprehension of ten individuals thus far, and this inquiry spans across various regions of India. Numerous complaints have been registered from different corners of the nation. Therefore, it becomes evident that the assertions made by well-known Twitter accounts are indeed misleading.
| Claim | A Chinese national duped 1200 people in Gujarat via a football betting app. |
| Claimed by | The Hindu, Ravish Kumar, Mahesh Langa, Sridhar Ramaswamy and other Twitter users |
| Fact Check | Misleading |
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