Delhi police arrest Chinese national in Rs 100 cr cyber fraud case

The Delhi Police has apprehended a Chinese national accused of involvement in a cyber fraud amounting to Rs 43 lakh in Shahdara, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The arrest uncovered an online stock trading scam exceeding Rs 100 crore, executed through social media groups, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), Prashant Gautam.

The suspect, identified as Fang Chenjin, was residing in Safdarjung Enclave, according to the police.

Providing details of the investigation, DCP Gautam stated, “A complaint was filed on the cybercrime portal in July, where the complainant alleged being duped through fraudulent stock market training sessions. The victim was coerced into investing Rs 43.5 lakh via multiple transactions, which were funnelled into various bank accounts managed by the fraudsters.”

During the probe, police examined the bank accounts receiving the defrauded money and scrutinised call records of several suspicious numbers. The investigation into these accounts and associated numbers, along with technical analysis, linked the suspect to fraudulent activities.

“The funds were traced to a bank account registered under the name Maha Laxmi Traders in Mundka, Delhi, which had been used for fraudulent transactions, including a Rs 1.25 lakh transfer in April,” Gautam said.

Further inquiry led investigators to a mobile number registered under Fang’s name, eventually leading to his arrest. Evidence recovered from Fang’s phone and social media chats implicated him in the scam.

The DCP stated that social media conversations between Fang and an associate revealed his role in orchestrating the fraud, including recharging the mobile number used in the operation. Additional investigations linked Fang to two other major cyber fraud and money laundering cases in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

“There are 17 complaints filed on the cybercrime portal tied to the same Fincare Bank account, with the total defrauded amount surpassing Rs 100 crore,” Gautam said. Fang reportedly disclosed that he arrived in India on a work visa in April 2020 for a Taiwanese company based in Andhra Pradesh.

Police further revealed that Fang was previously arrested in Andhra Pradesh in connection with a cheating case filed by the owner of the company he worked for as a vendor.

“He spent around seven months in Tirupati Jail,” Gautam noted.

At the time of his arrest by Andhra Pradesh police, Fang’s passport and visa were seized. When the Delhi Police detained him, he was found to be without a valid visa, the DCP added.

(With inputs from PTI)