A man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly creating a fake Amazon website to exploit the increased online traffic during the 2019 ‘Big Billion Days’ sale. The Cyber Prevention Awareness and Detection (CyPAD) unit apprehended the individual, identified as Rohit Soni, for setting up a fraudulent Amazon website to hijack traffic analytics during the popular sales event. Amazon, a US-based company known for offering significant discounts during its ‘Big Billion Days’ sale, attracts millions of users during this period.
Rohit Soni, 23, a B.Com graduate from Churu, Rajasthan, was arrested following a complaint lodged by Amazon. The company reported that a fake website was created to deceive people using Amazon’s brand. After conducting an investigation, the police identified Soni as the culprit behind the fraudulent website, according to a senior police official.
During questioning, Soni revealed that he had initially started a blog in 2016 that gained popularity. Motivated by the blog’s success, he decided to earn money by setting up a fake website resembling Amazon. The website prompted visitors to click on a link, which led to the download of the ‘4Fun’ app, earning him Rs 6 for each download.
This was not Soni’s first run-in with the law. He had previously been arrested for creating fake government websites, including ones offering ‘free laptops’ and ‘free solar panels.’ In a statement, CyPAD confirmed that Soni had repeatedly engaged in such online frauds, manipulating internet traffic to his fake sites by impersonating well-known brands and government entities.
