Police in Haryana’s Faridabad have busted a cyber fraud racket that allegedly duped a victim of ₹4.312 million (₹43.12 lakh) by promising lucrative returns through part-time online jobs and cryptocurrency trading. Ten accused, including a woman, have been arrested from Noida, Delhi, Gurugram and Rohtak. Police recovered ₹310,000 in cash, two SIM cards and a mobile phone during the operation. Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused were part of a larger cybercrime network that provided bank accounts, SIM cards and one-time passwords (OTPs) to fraudsters.
According to investigators, the complainant, a resident of Sector-31 in Faridabad, was added to a WhatsApp group on May 15, 2026. He was later contacted through Telegram and offered a work-from-home part-time job with promises of attractive earnings. Initially, he was assigned simple online tasks, such as clicking links to products listed on e-commerce websites and sending screenshots. Small payments were credited to his bank account, helping the fraudsters gain his trust.
The fraudsters subsequently persuaded him to invest in cryptocurrency trading through a fake trading platform. Police said the platform displayed fictitious profits of 30% to 50%, encouraging the victim to increase his investments. Between May 17 and June 1, 2026, he allegedly transferred ₹4,312,928 to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused.
When the victim attempted to withdraw his investment and the displayed profits, the withdrawals were blocked. He was then allegedly asked to pay additional amounts under the pretext of account upgrades, Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, advance tax and other processing charges. Realising that he had been defrauded, he lodged a complaint with the Central Cyber Police Station in Faridabad.
During the investigation, police first arrested Prashant Sharma from Agra, along with Vikram Singh and Vivek Kumar, originally from Madhubani district in Bihar, from Noida on June 17. Investigators found that Vivek had provided his bank account to Vikram, who allegedly passed it on to cyber fraudsters through Prashant. Police said approximately ₹380,000 of the defrauded money had been routed through that account.
On July 2, police arrested Gaurav Kumar, Rehan Ahmed Shah and Ranjit from various locations in Delhi, including Prem Nagar-2, Kirari, Suleman Nagar and Sultanpuri. Investigators alleged that Ranjit supplied a bank account that received ₹16,000 linked to the fraud. They further found that a SIM card issued in Gaurav’s name was being used by Rehan to receive OTPs, which were then shared with the cyber fraud network.
Further arrests were made on July 9, when police apprehended Manoj from Bhiwani, Deepak from Rohtak, Asmit from Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and a woman from Rohtak. According to investigators, the woman’s bank account had been opened and used by the cybercrime network, with ₹19,000 of the fraud proceeds transferred into it. Police said the entire amount was initially routed through 14 bank accounts and six UPI accounts.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said cybercriminals often build victims’ confidence by making small initial payments before persuading them to invest larger amounts. He advised people to independently verify the authenticity of online part-time job offers, cryptocurrency investment platforms and social media groups before transferring money, and to immediately report any suspicious activity to the cyber police.
