New Delhi: In a significant crackdown on organized cybercrime, the Delhi Police have dismantled an inter-state cyber fraud syndicate, apprehending 14 individuals allegedly involved in fraudulent transactions totaling over ₹8 crore. The arrests were made on Friday following an investigation that uncovered a sophisticated network operating across multiple states and with international links.
Syndicate Targeted Job Seekers with Fake Offers
According to police officials, the syndicate primarily targeted job seekers through various social media platforms, messaging applications, and job portals. They lured unsuspecting individuals with the promise of fake work-from-home opportunities, part-time jobs, and lucrative salary packages. The operation was initiated after police received a tip-off on April 25 regarding suspicious cyber fraud activities being conducted from a hotel in the Geeta Colony area of Delhi.
A police team subsequently raided the hotel, discovering several suspects from different states lodged in multiple rooms. During initial questioning and searches, 12 individuals were arrested, revealing their alleged involvement in an organized cyber fraud racket. An FIR was registered, and a comprehensive investigation was launched.
Further investigations and subsequent raids in Punjab’s Ludhiana led to the arrest of two more accused, identified as Pardeep alias Alpha and Gevi. This brought the total number of arrests in the case to 14.
Multi-State Network with International Connections
The arrested syndicate members hail from various states across India, including Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh. They operated under the guidance of key handlers, some of whom are reported to be based outside India, with connections to Cambodia. The modus operandi involved the use of mule bank accounts to facilitate the transfer and layering of cheated money, a common tactic employed to evade detection by law enforcement agencies.
The investigation revealed that the bank accounts linked to the accused were associated with as many as 40 complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), involving transactions worth approximately ₹1.5 crore. Additionally, an ATM card recovered during the operation was allegedly linked to fraud amounting to nearly ₹3 crore, highlighting the extensive scale of the syndicate’s operations.
Modus Operandi and Financial Trails
The syndicate members would first contact potential victims through calls or messages, luring them with fake job offers. Once victims expressed interest, they would be coerced into depositing money into various accounts under the guise of registration fees, training costs, or other pretext. The funds were then siphoned off through a complex network of mule accounts and layered transactions, making it difficult for authorities to trace the money and apprehend the perpetrators.
Police stated that the accused’s bank accounts were instrumental in facilitating these fraudulent transactions. The recovery of an ATM card linked to substantial fraud further underscores the syndicate’s methods of extracting and laundering illicit funds. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to identify additional victims, trace the overseas handlers, and dismantle any remaining elements of this international cyber fraud network.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
