Bareilly: A major cyber fraud racket operating under the guise of online gaming and betting has been busted, exposing a widespread network that duped victims across multiple states. The cyber crime police arrested two members of the gang, while the alleged mastermind remains on the run. Investigations have revealed that the group was active in at least 16 states, with 18 cases already registered against it.
The arrested accused have been identified as Suryabhan, a resident of Adarsh Nagar in Nawabganj, and Vineet from Kamua village in Bhuta. Both were running the operation in partnership. During interrogation, they disclosed that the gang was led by Shivam, a resident of Ahladpur, who managed to evade arrest and is currently being traced.
Deceptive Tactics and Digital Manipulation
According to investigators, the case surfaced after inputs were received through cyber complaint monitoring systems regarding a mobile number used in fraud. Technical tracking led authorities to Ashutosh City in Bareilly, where the call center was operating. During the raid, three suspects attempted to flee, but two were apprehended after a brief chase, while one escaped.
The accused revealed that they had rented an entire house in the locality to run the call center. They had misled the landlord by claiming to be associated with a bank, which helped them secure the property without suspicion. The setup had reportedly been operational since 2022, targeting victims across the country.
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The gang used a well-planned strategy to trap victims. They circulated advertisements on social media platforms promising quick and high returns. Interested individuals were then contacted via calls from the call center and persuaded to invest money in various online gaming and betting websites.
These platforms included multiple betting and gaming portals through which victims were encouraged to place bets. The accused admitted that if a user won a small amount, the payout was made to build trust. However, if someone won a large amount, their data was deleted from the system and their number was blocked, effectively denying them access to their winnings and resulting in financial loss.
Evidence Points to Organized Network
Police recovered a significant amount of digital and financial material from the call center. The seized items include seven mobile phones, three Wi-Fi routers, seven digital QR devices, one QR code, 12 SIM wrappers, seven cheque books, seven cheques, five passbooks, seven bank account kits, 13 debit cards, and 353 pages of documents linked to cyber fraud operations. The scale of recovery indicates that the racket was being run in an organized and large-scale manner.
Investigators also linked the operation to a fraud complaint involving ₹2.05 lakh. Tracking the mobile number used in that case led them to the location of the call center. Further technical analysis revealed that the number was connected to a tablet device, which was reportedly in possession of the absconding mastermind.
Probe Expands Across States
Authorities confirmed that the gang operated across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Jharkhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra. Officials believe more victims may come forward as the investigation progresses.
The police are currently working to trace the absconding kingpin and uncover the full extent of the network. Officials say further arrests and disclosures are likely in the coming days as digital evidence is analyzed and interstate links are examined.
