New Delhi: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested a man for online investment fraud and a job scam of more than Rs 1 crore. The police were informed about the incident through a complaint registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The accused has been identified as Kunal Satish Helkar (24), son of Satish Helkar resident of Satara, Pune, Maharashtra. According to the police, the accused was arrested in Goa following an extensive digital and field investigation. The case was registered on the complaint of Diksha Kanojia, who alleged that she and her family were defrauded by Helkar, who posed as a successful entrepreneur running multiple companies.
The accused initially approached the complainant on LinkedIn in February 2024, offering her a lucrative position as a Digital Associate News Editor in his fictitious firm, Vijaya Digital Corporation, promising a monthly salary of 45,000 rupees. Over time, he built an elaborate web of fake entities, including Planner Media Group and Speak Community Network, and falsely claimed affiliation with UNESCO India.
Police said Helkar used forged offer letters, fabricated receipts, and manipulated online identities to gain the victims’ trust.
He induced them to transfer large sums of money under the pretext of gadget purchases, DDA flat allotments, internship fees, and employment schemes.
To maintain credibility, he communicated regularly with the family and even installed CCTV cameras at their residence for constant monitoring.
Investigations revealed that Helkar adopted a meticulously planned modus operandi. He posed as the CEO and founder of several fake organisations, exploiting professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn to identify potential victims.
By fabricating official documents, emails, and websites of reputable institutions like UNESCO and DDA, he successfully deceived multiple individuals into making large payments.
The accused also allegedly accessed victims’ bank accounts and took loans in their names using suspicious financial apps.