Delhi Police Arrests Three in Rs 71 Lakh Digital Arrest Fraud Case

The Delhi Police IFSO unit arrested three individuals from Bhopal for a Rs 71 lakh digital arrest scam. Fraudsters impersonated an IPS officer to coerce the victim into transferring funds, which were then laundered through mule bank accounts.

New Delhi [India], November 15 (ANI): The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police arrested three people on Sunday in connection with a digital arrest cyber fraud case involving ₹71 lakh, in which a woman was allegedly duped by fraudsters impersonating an IPS officer. The accused allegedly facilitated the receipt and diversion of the cheated money through multiple bank accounts as part of an organised cyber fraud network.

According to Delhi Police, the case originated from a complaint in which the victim received a WhatsApp video call from a person impersonating an IPS officer posted in Mumbai. The caller falsely claimed that a credit card had been issued in her name and was being used for money laundering involving transactions worth approximately ₹6.5 crore. The fraudster allegedly threatened the woman with arrest and judicial custody and coerced her into transferring money under the pretext of verification to avoid legal action.

Under fear and intimidation, the victim transferred a total of ₹71 lakh through two bank transactions. A dedicated team comprising SI Sachin Dev Dangi, Head Constable Kapil Kumar Tomar and Head Constable Goldee Khatri was constituted to investigate the case. During the investigation, the IFSO team traced the financial trail and identified a network of mule bank accounts allegedly used to receive and divert the cheated amount.

The investigation led to the arrest of three accused from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. They have been identified as Priyanka Prajapati (31), Aman Soni (28) and Pinky Soni (30). Police said the accused allegedly facilitated the movement and withdrawal of the cheated money through multiple bank accounts and coordinated with other handlers.

According to the police, the fraudsters impersonated senior police officials and threatened the victim with arrest by falsely implicating her in serious criminal activities. They allegedly created fear of legal action and coerced her into transferring money to designated bank accounts in the name of verification. The arrested accused allegedly operated as part of a mule bank account network, providing bank accounts to their handlers to receive and divert proceeds of cyber fraud.

Approximately ₹15 lakh was allegedly withdrawn and distributed among the accused and their associates. A portion of the cheated amount was also used to purchase expensive mobile phones, police said. Three newly purchased mobile phones, allegedly bought using part of the cheated amount, have been recovered. The operation was conducted under the close supervision of ACP/IFSO Manoj Kumar Mishra and the overall supervision of DCP-I/IFSO Gaurav Tyagi. Delhi Police said the IFSO unit remains committed to identifying organised cyber fraud networks, tracing defrauded funds and taking legal action against those involved in cyber financial crimes. (ANI)