Delhi police bust over Rs 6 crore cyber scams: 19-year-old woman, army impersonators among 19 arrested

The Delhi Police have arrested 19 individuals across multiple states following a month-long special operation aimed at dismantling organized cybercrime networks.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Aug 31, 2024, 9:52 AM IST | Last Updated Aug 31, 2024, 9:52 AM IST

In a significant crackdown on cybercrime activities, the Delhi Police have arrested 19 individuals across multiple states following a month-long special operation aimed at dismantling organized cybercrime networks. These networks were involved in various fraudulent schemes targeting residents of Delhi and other states, including online stock market scams, fake work-from-home opportunities, and phony customer service numbers.

The operation, which involved over two dozen police teams, was launched in response to a surge in cybercrime complaints, particularly from victims who had been swindled out of substantial sums of money. The teams executed simultaneous raids across several states, leading to the arrests of key suspects in the cybercrime networks.

According to Rohit Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest), the coordinated raids were carried out in multiple locations including Deoghar, Giridih, and Dumka in Jharkhand; Rajgarh and Sehore in Madhya Pradesh; Samastipur in Bihar; and Ajmer and Jodhpur in Rajasthan. "We received over 148 complaints of fraud amounting to more than Rs 6 crore," Meena was quoted as saying in a TOI report, highlighting the scale of the operation.

Among those arrested was a 19-year-old woman who allegedly used morphed social media accounts of influencers and advanced artificial intelligence tools to generate explicit images. These images were then sold to unsuspecting buyers online. The woman was apprehended as part of a larger cybercrime module that was operating out of Mewat.

Two suspects from this module, identified as Sahil and Varis, were also arrested. They were reportedly impersonating army personnel to target individuals listing their properties for rent on popular real estate websites. One victim, an Air Force officer, was defrauded of Rs 2.3 lakh after the suspects used forged identification documents, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls to deceive him.

Investigators linked 12 similar complaints from various states to this module and unearthed over Rs 18 lakh in suspected accounts.

Another significant arrest was made in Jharkhand, where the police apprehended Kundan Kumar Das, the alleged mastermind behind a fake customer service scheme. In this case, an army personnel was defrauded of approximately Rs 2 lakh after responding to a fraudulent customer care number. The criminals took remote access to the victim’s mobile phone and siphoned off money from his bank account. The investigation into this module revealed 16 related complaints from various states, with over Rs 1.1 crore discovered in multiple bank accounts linked to the fraud.

In Mumbai, the police arrested Chetan Naidu, the prime suspect in a major online investment scam. The complainant in this case lost Rs 18 lakh after being lured with promises of lucrative returns on stock market investments. This module had 40 complaints linked to it from across the country, and police unearthed Rs 3.27 crore in Naidu’s bank account. Along with Naidu, three others involved in the scam were also arrested.

Additionally, police made arrests connected to a case involving a Union ministry translator who was defrauded by a sham work-from-home agency. The agency had obtained the translator's bank details through a fraudulent link and subsequently withdrew lakhs of rupees from his account instead of paying him for his work.

The Delhi Police’s month-long operation underscores the pervasive and sophisticated nature of cybercrime in India, with criminals employing increasingly advanced techniques to defraud victims. The operation’s success highlights the importance of coordinated efforts across state lines to combat cybercrime, which has been on the rise with the increased reliance on digital platforms.

Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and cautious when dealing with online transactions and interactions, particularly when it involves sharing personal or financial information. The authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of these networks and ensure that all individuals involved are brought to justice.

The Delhi Police plan to launch a public awareness campaign to educate citizens on the dangers of cybercrime and how to protect themselves from becoming victims. This initiative is expected to include guidelines on verifying the authenticity of online services, identifying fraudulent schemes, and reporting suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.

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