Cybercrime network busted, 19 arrested in multi-state operation

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30

Nineteen persons were arrested across seven states in connection with 148 complaints filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). These suspects allegedly scammed numerous victims, including Army and Air Force personnel in the South West region of Delhi.

Cheated Army, air force personnel

• The police recover 42 mobile phones, 21 SIM cards, six ATM cards, two fake Aadhaar cards and ~35 lakh.
• Additionally, transactions worth ~6.93 crore related to these cases were frozen
• The suspects allegedly scammed numerous victims, including Army and Air Force personnel in the South West region of Delhi

The police, while investigating multiple cases, recovered 42 mobile phones, 21 SIM cards, six ATM cards, two fake Aadhaar cards and Rs 35 lakh. Additionally, transactions worth Rs 6.93 crore related to these cases were frozen.

On July 11, an Army officer received a text message with a link to redeem 8,550 points accumulated in his Axis Bank account. The message was sent under the header “AX-NEVADA” to appear authentic, as banks typically use their initials for such communications. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South West district, Rohit Meena, said the officer clicked on the link and was redirected to a webpage resembling the bank’s login page. After entering his login ID and password, he received a One-Time Password (OTP) on his mobile number. Upon entering the OTP, Rs 3.39 lakh was deducted from his account.

The officer filed a complaint on the NCRP portal, leading to the registration of a case. Initial findings revealed that the deducted amount was transferred to a Drive Track Plus (DTP) card, a prepaid fleet card offered by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for purchasing fuel at HPCL petrol pumps. The card was then used at two petrol pumps: Bharat Filling Station in Yamunanagar and Fateh Filling Station in Ambala. The customer ID associated with the card was registered under the name of Sakil Khan from Madhya Pradesh. However, when contacted, Khan claimed he had never applied for the card.

Further investigation revealed that the ID had been accessed in Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Birbhum, West Bengal, on different dates in June and July. The fraudsters had not used bank accounts to transfer the money; instead, it was withdrawn at petrol pumps through the DTP cards. The police arrested nine people from different locations in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, busting their network and recovering 24 smartphones, six ATM cards and two fake Aadhaar cards. A money trail of Rs 2.79 crore was uncovered in these accounts.

Among those arrested were key operatives like Sanjay Kumbhkar, who managed the petrol pump withdrawals, and Sachin Pathak, who created the fake DTP cards. The two were part of a well-organised network operating across state lines. Another accused, Santosh Kumar, was identified as a key link between phishing link creators in West Bengal and fraudsters in Madhya Pradesh. He, along with others, arranged for the creation of fake DTP cards and facilitated money laundering through petrol pumps.

The accused include Sanjay Kumbhkar, petrol pump manager from Rajgarh, MP, who handled cash withdrawals; Sachin Pathak, regional business executive at Drive Track Plus, who created fake DTP cards; Kanta Prasad, a carpenter involved in multi-level marketing schemes and distribution of fraudulently obtained cash; Mukesh Dangi, an ambulance driver who helped create fake accounts; Santosh Kumar, a clerk in Sathi Cargo, who coordinated phishing operations; Arun Kumar Mandal, creator of phishing links and manager of victim data through Telegram; Narayan Kumar Mandal, an assistant in executing the fraud; Rajesh Kumar Mandal, a delivery boy who aided in the scam and Anand Mondal, shop owner from Jamtara, Jharkhand, who advised on shifting operations to Tarapit, West Bengal, due to increased surveillance in Jamtara.

Kumbhkar reportedly received a 10 per cent commission in cash, with 90 per cent going to Santosh and Kanta Prasad.

In a separate case, a Wing Commander was defrauded of Rs 2.29 lakh after listing his 2 BHK apartment for rent on a property website. The fraudster, posing as Army personnel named Deepak Pawar Bajrang, sent forged documents, including Aadhaar card and PAN card, to gain the victim’s trust.

Sahil (19) and Varis (20) from Alwar district, Rajasthan, were arrested in the case. The duo targeted property owners who had posted rental listings on 99acres.com, convincing victims to use a supposed “Army Merchant office” payment system. The investigation revealed that the accused were involved in multiple cybercrimes.

Sahil, is a school dropout who used his communication skills to pose as Army personnel and dupe victims, while Varis has a background in committing job frauds.

Another victim, an Army personnel, was cheated of Rs 1.99 lakh after searching for Amazon’s customer care number on Google. The fraudster, pretending to be an Amazon representative, convinced the victim to download a remote access application called “Anydesk” and siphoned off the money in four transactions. The accused, Kundan Kumar Das (27) of Deoghar, Jharkhand, was arrested, and five smartphones, 10 SIM cards and over Rs 1.1 crore in various bank accounts linked to the scam were recovered.

The investigation revealed that the cheated amount was transferred to a bank account in the name of Dhiraj Kumar of Raebareli. Transactions amounting to Rs 25 lakh had occurred in the said account.

On August 28, a police team raided the hideout of Das in Deoghar leading to his arrest.

“He admitted to arranging mule bank accounts for a syndicate led by Irfan, who operated from Kalijot village. These accounts were used to receive and launder money obtained through fraudulent activities,” the DCP said.

Kundan confessed that he procured these accounts from another associate in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, for a fee. He also disclosed that he received a 30 per cent commission on all money transferred through these accounts.

In a different scam involving stock market investments, a complainant was cheated of Rs 18 lakh after joining a WhatsApp group that claimed to offer stock chart analysis and lured victims into investing in IPOs through an institutional account. The accused, Chetan Naidu from Mumbai, was arrested, and three mobile phones and three SIM cards were recovered. Naidu was part of a cyber fraud syndicate that preyed on individuals by promising high returns on investments. The investigation linked over 40 complaints from different states to an account connected to the scam.

On August 8, two other suspects, Mohamad Ali and Deepu P, both residents of Bangalore, were arrested for their involvement in the scam.

The duo had opened multiple bank accounts, which they supplied to the syndicate, receiving commissions for each transaction. “They communicated with Naidu via Telegram, facilitating the fraud on a large scale,” the police said.

Additionally, a social media influencer from South West Delhi reported that a fake Instagram account was created in her name to post nude and objectionable content. The accused, Khusi Saini (19), was arrested in Basant Bihar, Uttar Pradesh. Saini admitted to creating the fake account out of jealousy and used it to defame the influencer by posting abusive content.

In a job fraud case, three persons from Ajmer, Rajasthan — Ramji Lal (23), Tejpal (24) and Rakesh Jat (22) — were arrested for defrauding a woman of over Rs 1 lakh after luring her into a Telegram group promising online jobs with high returns. The accused were part of a larger network that preyed on job seekers, collecting bank accounts and registered mobile numbers to facilitate fraudulent activities.

In another share market scam, a complainant lost Rs 26.4 lakh after being deceived by individuals posing as investment advisors. The accused, Deva (21) from Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested, and two smartphones were recovered. Deva admitted to providing bank accounts for fraudulent activities in exchange for money and facilitated the transfer of stolen funds to obscure the electronic money trail.