A 19-year-old cricketer from the Belagavi district of Karnataka was defrauded of INR 24 lakh by con artists posing as Indian Premier League (IPL) agents.
This incident serves as an example of increasing threats of cyber fraud directed at aspiring athletes, especially in the competitive sport of cricket.
Rakesh Yadure, an aspiring athlete from Chinchani village in the district of Chikkodi Taluk in Belagavi fell under the trap and was duped by a sophisticated online scam that promised him a spot in the Rajasthan Royals before the 2025 Indian Premier League, leaving him and his family in financial ruin.
Belagavi Cricketer Swindled Out of INR 24 Lakh in Fake IPL Selection Scam
Back in December 2024, Rakesh received a DM on Instagram that praised how he played in the Rising Bharat Cricket League in Hyderabad earlier that year and said that Rajasthan Royals were interested in signing him for the IPL.
He did not question it much. The message looked real enough, and the idea of getting INR 10 lakh per match felt surreal. That kind of money and a shot at the IPL was more than he ever imagined. They asked him to fill a form and pay INR 2,000 to register. It did not seem like a big deal at the time. But after that, the requests kept coming. Small amounts at first, then bigger ones.
Over four months, between December and April, Rakesh kept transferring money. Sometimes for a kit, sometimes for training, or travel. All in all, he ended up sending INR 23.53 lakh. Still no jersey. No flight ticket. No official letter.
It wasn not until they asked him for another INR 3 lakh, without sending anything in return, that it really sunk in. It had all been fake.
His dad works as a security guard with KSRTC. They did not have that kind of money lying around. So, the family borrowed, took loans, scraped together INR 24 lakh, just so Rakesh could chase his dream. And now, they are left with almost nothing but debt and heartbreak.
Cricketer Files Police ComplaintÂ
Authorities have launched an investigation, with the Belagavi's CEN police taking charge after Rakesh filed a complaint.
Bhimashankar Guled, Superintendent of Police, Belagavi, revealed that the scammers withdrew the money immediately, leaving the accounts empty. Preliminary investigations suggest the perpetrators may be based in Rajasthan, and a cyber team has been dispatched to pursue leads.
"The fraudsters withdrew the money immediately. The accounts are empty. Initial leads suggest the culprits are based in Rajasthan. We’re deploying our cyber team there," he said as quoted.
Rakesh, who was frauded, said:
"I don’t want anyone to go through what I underwent."
Also read: India Tour of England: Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair in contention for inclusion in Test squadÂ
