Delhi Police nabs two persons linked with investment fraud racket from Haryana

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has busted a gang of cyber frauds that allegedly duped a 40-year-old accountant of Rs 3.13 lakh on the pretext of offering high returns through stock market investments, an official said on Monday.

Two men were arrested in this connection following a three-day operation in Haryana's Rohtak and Hisar.

According to the police, the complainant Kewal Kumar -- a Delhi resident -- was added to a group by a woman who identified herself as Mitali Chopra, and claimed to be associated with mutual fund companies.

"She promised high profits through stock recommendations and convinced him to install an app for managing transactions. Manipulated by the group's fake profit statements, Kumar transferred Rs 3.31 lakh in four instalments from his wife's bank account," the officer said.

When he later attempted to withdraw his funds, the application blocked the request, revealing the fraud, he said, adding that an FIR was registered based on Kumar's complaint.

"The police analysed nearly 100 mobile numbers, IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) details, IP logs and money trails across several bank accounts. Continuous surveillance helped trace the suspects to Meham in Haryana's Rohtak district, following which raids were conducted in Rohtak and Hisar," the officer said.

The police arrested Neeraj (28), who runs a Common Service Centre (CSC), and Aman (24), a garment shop owner from Rohtak.

Neeraj had allegedly provided his current bank account to Aman for a two per cent commission, while Aman supplied multiple bank accounts to cybercriminals for a four per cent cut.

According to the police, Aman acted as a crucial link between account holders, agents and operators of the cyber fraud racket.

During the operation, several bank accounts connected to the fraudulent operation were frozen, with Rs 29,110 recovered so far. Two mobile phones, two SIM cards, five debit cards and a cheque book has been recovered from the accused, the officer said.

At least 16 similar complaints linked to the same fraud network have been identified on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) portal, he added.