Delhi Police have arrested four people for defrauding a man of over Rs 17 lakh in a pan-India `work-from-home` scam, where victims were promised earnings by reviewing websites, an official said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Ankur Mishra (22), Kratarth (21), Vishwash Sharma (32), and Ketan Mishra (18), tricked unsuspecting victims through social media by offering attractive online job opportunities, reported PTI. They then led them into a trap involving cryptocurrency-related financial schemes, disguised as high-paying tasks. The victim filed a complaint on May 27, saying he was approached with an offer to earn money by reviewing websites.
Initially, the complainant received Rs 50 per review, but was soon convinced to take part in prepaid cryptocurrency transactions with the promise of higher returns, said DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel. Over time, the fraudsters kept asking for more money under various pretexts, eventually cheating him of Rs 17.49 lakh, Goel added. Police have registered a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During the investigation, police discovered that Rs 5 lakh had been transferred from the complainant`s account to a private bank account registered in Mishra`s name. CCTV footage confirmed his identity, along with two of the co-accused, who were seen withdrawing money using a cheque, reported PTI.
Technical analysis later revealed that the fraud ring was operating across multiple cities, including Lucknow and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, and Bhopal and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh. Raids were conducted in these locations, leading to the arrest of the four accused, the DCP said.
The gang used a multi-layered system to hide the money trail, transferring funds through several bank accounts before converting it into cryptocurrency, specifically USDT (Tether) to evade detection by banks and law enforcement agencies, the officer said.
Further probe is underway to identify the other members of the syndicate and trace the laundered funds.
Stock market scam costs Mumbai woman Rs 7.88 crore
A 62-year-old housewife from Mumbai was allegedly duped of Rs 7.88 crore by cyber fraudsters who lured her into investing in the stock market with promises of high returns, police said, reported PTI.
The fraudsters posed as representatives of a reputed financial services company to cheat the woman, a resident of the Bandra area, over the past two months, an officer from the West Region Cyber Police Station said on Monday.
The complainant told the police that said she first received a message on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The sender, a woman, claimed to be the assistant of a senior officer of the company and initiated a conversation about stock investments.
She was then provided with the company officer`s contact number and a link to a website. The Bandra resident was subsequently added to a Whatsapp group and introduced to another individual, who also claimed to be associated with the finance company, the official said.
On the woman`s insistence, the woman transferred a total of Rs 7,88,87,000 into multiple bank accounts over a period of time, the police said.
When she attempted to withdraw her funds, she was asked to deposit an additional 10 per cent of the amount. Sensing something suspicious, the woman decided to inquire which indicated the fraud.
Based on the woman`s grievance lodged on an online cyber complaint portal, the police have registered a case against unidentified persons under relevant legal provisions and initiated a detailed investigation into the matter, the official added, reported by PTI.
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