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NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have busted an organised cyber fraud syndicate that allegedly targeted residents across southern India by offering deceptive promises of loans, educational scholarships, and other financial incentives. The enforcement drive resulted in the arrest of four key operatives, while five female telecallers were bound over in connection with the investigation. Police officials also recovered 21 mobile phones, extensive customer databases, banking instruments, and Rs 45,170 in cash during coordinated searches across the capital.
Financial Portal Trails Expose Suspect Bank Accounts
The illicit operation came under scrutiny following an extensive analysis of digital grievance records registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the SAMVANYA portal. Officers stationed at the West Delhi Cyber Police Station detected an unusual pattern of high-frequency transactions flowing through bank branches within their jurisdiction. Further scrutiny revealed that these commercial accounts were being actively used to receive illicit deposits from unsuspecting targets drawn in by spurious financial assistance programs.
Investigators noted that the syndicate concentrated its efforts primarily on individuals based in Tamil Nadu and neighboring southern states. Telecallers persuaded targets to deposit processing charges and verification fees by promising substantial loan disbursements and educational grants. Once targets agreed to the proposals, the operators shared designated bank account numbers, UPI IDs, and digital QR codes to collect the incoming remittances.
Account Trace Leads to Coordinated West Delhi Arrests
Verification of transaction ledgers identified a suspicious account held at the Vikaspuri branch of Karnataka Bank, which had been linked to three distinct cyber fraud complaints. The forensic review of the account holder details and associated subscriber identity modules directed investigators toward Amit Kapoor, who reportedly managed the repository and oversaw the withdrawal of defrauded funds. Following the registration of a First Information Report, police took Kapoor into custody alongside Shiva Singh Chaudhary and S Gaurav, also known as Appu.
Police stated that the three arrested men functioned as an operational module responsible for procuring bank accounts, acquiring SIM cards, coordinating cash withdrawals through automated teller machines, and routing the illicit proceeds. Gaurav reportedly served as the primary intermediary between the account managers and the operational telecalling unit that systematically engaged potential victims in southern states.
Raid on Vikaspuri Calling Center Uncovers Operational Setup
Following Gaurav’s interrogation, a special police unit executed a search on a residential premises located in Budhella, Vikaspuri. Officers discovered six individuals operating from the site, including facility manager Seraj Ansari, also known as Dawood, and five female telecallers. Ansari was arrested on the spot, while the five telecallers were officially bound over to assist with the ongoing inquiry.
The search led to the confiscation of 12 smartphones, nine basic keypad phones, 10 notepads, five ledgers, one debit card, two chequebooks, and Rs 45,170 in currency notes. Preliminary assessments of the confiscated notebooks and registers confirmed that calls were routinely made to pitch fraudulent loans and scholarship schemes. Investigators are continuing to examine the seized ledgers and banking records to ascertain the overall financial scale of the racket, locate additional victims, and establish whether the syndicate operated connected call centers in other states.
