Bengaluru police bust interstate cybercrime gang running fake work-from-home job scam, 12 arrested

Bengaluru police busted an interstate cyber gang that scammed people with fake work-from-home jobs. Operating from Uttar Pradesh, 12 were arrested; over 400 SIM cards, 160 ATMs, and ₹15,000 in cash were seized.

Bengaluru: Police have busted an interstate cybercrime gang that defrauded people of lakhs of rupees by offering fake work-from-home jobs. A total of 12 accused were arrested, operating primarily from Uttar Pradesh, using more than 400 SIM cards to run the scam.

Scam details

The gang lured victims by sending messages from anonymous numbers, promising work-from-home jobs offering ₹1,000–₹2,000 per day. Interested individuals were first asked to pay a registration fee of ₹800.

After gaining their trust, the scammers assigned simple online tasks such as watching or liking videos and promised higher returns. Victims were then asked to pay ₹10,000 as "office fees" to withdraw their earnings. To further cement trust, the gang would return ₹20,000, making the victims believe the scheme was legitimate.

Later, the victims were told that hundreds of people had joined under them, and they were eligible for a large commission. They were informed that ₹10 lakhs had been deposited in their "office account" and were asked to pay ₹5 lakhs as bank and platform charges to release the funds. Once the victims paid the amount, the gang cut off all contact. A resident from Bengaluru reportedly lost ₹5 lakhs in the scam.

Police investigation

The Bengaluru victim filed a complaint at Adugodi police station, prompting an investigation. Initial tracking pointed to bank accounts in Uttar Pradesh, but further probes revealed operations were being handled from Mumbai.

Chain of accounts and commissions

The accused rented bank accounts from students and rural youth in Uttar Pradesh, offering them ₹1,500 per account. The gang used a chain-linking system, transferring ₹20,000 to state-level bank accounts and ₹3,000 to local accounts to mask their trail.

Raid and arrests
Bengaluru police traced the operation to a rented house in Kamanagar, Prayagraj. A raid led to the arrest of 10 suspects on-site. Two more were arrested in follow-up operations, bringing the total to 12.

Seized items

400 mobile SIM cards
160 ATM cards
17 cheque books
27 mobile phones
22 bank passbooks
₹15,000 cash

List of accused

Accused The arrested individuals have been identified as Harshavardhan, Sonu, Akash Kumar Yadav, Gorakh Nath Yadav, Sanjeet Kumar, Akash Kumar, Amit Yadav, Gaurav Pratap Singh, Brijesh Singh, Raj Mishra, Tushar Mishra, and Gautam Shailesh.