Gurugram Cyber Police have apprehended Khushbu, a 24-year-old woman from Surat, at Delhi’s IGI Airport. She is accused of facilitating an elaborate international cyber scam that defrauded an elderly Gurugram woman of ₹2.9 crore. Investigators allege she worked at a Cambodia-based call centre named Mango Park, managed by a Chinese syndicate, employing deceptive “digital arrest” methods.
The Scam: “Digital Arrest” Strategy
According to ACP Priyanshu Dewan, Khushbu and her co-conspirators impersonated officials from the CBI, police, or Customs via video calls to intimidate victims into transferring large sums. The tactic, known as digital arrest, involves threatening legal consequences and staging fake investigations on video platforms like WhatsApp. Victims were coerced into sending money — often in crores — to resolve fabricated allegations.
In one case, an elderly woman in Gurugram was duped of ₹2.9 crore after being falsely accused of hawala-related crimes and forced to transfer funds to shady accounts linked to Khushbu and her associates.
Arrest, Network, and Evidence
Khushbu landed in India from Phnom Penh via Dubai on June 30. Gurugram police had been tracking her since December 2024 through a Look Out Circular (LOC). She was intercepted at IGI Airport, and two mobile phones used for the scam were seized.
During interrogation, she claimed to earn about $700 a month, working under a Chinese-run call centre alongside around 15 other arrested operatives. Authorities revealed that ₹39 lakh of the stolen funds were routed through multiple bank accounts—including ones sold and rented by localised accomplices in India.
So far, 16 individuals tied to the ring have been arrested in Gurugram, with efforts ongoing to identify and capture others across India, Cambodia and Dubai.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.