A cybercrime gang allegedly involved in cheating people of around ₹85 crore through fake part-time job offers, stock market investment schemes and digital arrest scams has been busted in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. A joint team of the Aligarh Cyber Cell and Lodha Police has arrested three alleged members of the gang. According to police, around ₹2.90 crore lying in the accused persons’ bank accounts has been frozen. The investigation has revealed that the gang allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of fake companies using forged documents and used them to transfer money obtained through cyber fraud.
Police identified the arrested accused as Ankit Sharma, a resident of Krishna Nagar Colony under Quarsi police station limits; Mayank Kumar Singh, a resident of Hemant Nagar Ravantila under Quarsi police station limits; and Vishal Verma, a resident of Shastri Nagar Cantonment Road under Gandhi Park police station limits. Police are now examining their mobile phones, bank accounts, digital activities and links with other members of the alleged network.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused allegedly contacted victims through social media platforms and WhatsApp. They reportedly lured people with promises of part-time jobs, online tasks, high returns from stock market investments and digital arrest threats. After gaining the trust of victims, the accused allegedly sent fake links. Police suspect that clicking these links allowed the criminals to access personal information and mobile data, which was later misused for fraudulent activities.
According to police, the gang prepared fake documents and opened bank accounts in the names of companies. These accounts were allegedly used to receive and transfer money collected through cyber fraud. During the investigation, police found information about accounts opened in Bank of Baroda under the names of Mayank Enterprises, AK Trading Company and Nishan Enterprises. Officials said these accounts were linked with cyber fraud complaints registered in several states.
The investigation revealed that the Mayank Enterprises account was linked to 23 complaints registered in Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala and Karnataka. Police alleged that more than ₹1.17 crore was defrauded through this account, while approximately ₹1.59 crore has been frozen. Similarly, the AK Trading Company account was linked to 18 complaints from Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Telangana. More than ₹5.25 crore in alleged fraud transactions were traced through this account, out of which around ₹80 lakh has been frozen.
Sixteen complaints were also found connected with the Nishan Enterprises account. Police said that more than ₹3.35 crore was allegedly defrauded through this account, and around ₹48 lakh has been frozen. Officials stated that around 57 NCRP complaints and 15 cases have already been registered against the gang in different states. Police are now working to identify other members of the network and trace the final beneficiaries of the fraudulent transactions.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that cyber criminals are increasingly using job offers, investment schemes and digital arrest tactics to exploit people’s emotions and greed. He advised citizens to remain cautious when anyone demands money in the name of online jobs or investments and avoid downloading unknown links, applications or remote access tools without proper verification.
Police have advised citizens not to transfer money for job registration fees, security deposits or completion of online tasks without verification. People should verify investment opportunities received through social media and messaging platforms before making any financial decisions. Police, CBI, ED or other government agencies do not conduct digital arrest through video calls. In case of cyber fraud, victims should immediately contact the cyber helpline number 1930 or register a complaint through www.cybercrime.gov.in.
