Telangana Police have arrested a 23-year-old Rajasthan man in Gujarat for allegedly operating a fake escort-service cyberfraud network that targeted victims across India. The accused, identified as Dinesh Patel, allegedly promoted fraudulent websites through Instagram and WhatsApp, collected payments through mule bank accounts and converted the proceeds into online shopping gift cards.
How Did the Fraud Come to Light?
The investigation began after a resident of Sangidi village in Bola mandal lost ₹4.2 lakh through 16 unauthorised transactions.
The victim had received a WhatsApp message containing a link to royalescort.com. After opening the website, he was instructed to pay ₹2,200 through UPI.
Believing the payment request was genuine, he transferred the amount. However, money was subsequently debited from accounts linked to his credit cards without authorisation.
Investigators established that ₹4,20,210 had been siphoned off through 16 transactions.
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How Was the Accused Identified?
Following the complaint, Bola police registered a case and examined the digital trail.
Technical evidence, mobile phone numbers and online transaction records led investigators to Patel, a resident of Udaipur district in Rajasthan.
Adilabad Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan confirmed the arrest on Monday.
How Did the Fake Escort Service Operate?
Investigators alleged that Patel obtained SIM cards using other people’s identity documents and circulated links to fraudulent escort-service websites on Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp.
Victims were persuaded to make payments for services advertised through these platforms. However, the promised services were never provided. Police said the accused used multiple methods to receive, transfer and spend money obtained through the alleged fraud.
Why Were Shopping Gift Cards Used?
According to investigators, payments collected from victims were routed through mule bank accounts.
The accused allegedly used credit card payments to purchase gift cards on shopping platforms including Amazon and Flipkart. These gift cards were subsequently used to obtain goods, making the proceeds more difficult to trace directly.
What Did Investigators Recover?
Police found that approximately 220 complaints had been registered against Patel nationwide, including 20 in Telangana.
Investigators also identified alleged links to similar offences within the jurisdictions of Osmania University, Vanasthalipuram and Narsingi police stations in Hyderabad. Police seized three mobile phones, a mini iPad and an HP laptop allegedly used in the offences.
What Does This Mean?
Adilabad police have secured ₹2 lakh of the defrauded amount and completed the process of returning it through court proceedings.
The case highlights how fraudulent service websites, mule accounts and shopping gift cards can be combined to conceal cybercrime proceeds. Investigators are examining the seized electronic devices to identify further evidence and establish details of other alleged offences.
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