Rs 8 crore international cyber fraud syndicate busted in Delhi, 14 arrested

The Delhi Police has busted an inter-state cyber fraud syndicate, arresting 14 people allegedly linked to fake transactions worth over Rs 8 crore, an official said on Friday.

Police said the accused targeted job seekers through social media platforms, messaging applications and job portals by offering fake work-from-home opportunities, part-time jobs and lucrative salary packages.

“The operation was carried out after a tip-off on April 25 regarding suspicious cyber fraud activities being run from a hotel in the Geeta Colony area,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said.

A police team raided the hotel and found several suspects from different states staying in multiple rooms.

During questioning and searches, police arrested 12 people, and their alleged involvement in an organised cyber fraud racket surfaced, the DCP said.

Based on the findings, an FIR was registered, and an investigation was initiated. During subsequent raids and police custody remand, two more accused, Pardeep alias Alpha and Gevi, were arrested in Punjab’s Ludhiana, bringing the total number of arrests to 14, police said.

They said the syndicate members belonged to different states, including Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, and operated through social media groups under the guidance of key handlers, some of whom are based outside India, including Cambodia.

“The team found that the gang used mule bank accounts to transfer and layer cheated money to avoid detection. The accused’s bank account was linked to 40 complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal involving transactions worth around Rs 1.5 crore,” the officer said.

He said another ATM card recovered during the operation was allegedly linked to fraud amounting to nearly Rs 3 crore. Police said the accused would first contact victims through calls or messages and lure them with fake employment offers. They said victims were later shifted to encrypted platforms and shown fabricated company profiles, appointment letters and task-based earning schemes to gain their trust.

The fraudsters allegedly collected money from victims for registration charges, security deposits, investment plans and task completion fees, police said. After receiving substantial payments, they would block victims, they said.

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“During the raids, police recovered 18 mobile phones, 19 SIM cards, one laptop, three ATM cards, four cheque books and two stamps allegedly used in the cyber fraud operations,” the officer said.

Police said digital evidence, including social media chats and APK-based tools recovered from the accused, indicated a well-organised interstate cyber fraud network. Further investigation is underway.