The Cyber Crime Police Station (West) of Gurugram Police has busted an interstate cyber fraud network, arresting four key operatives accused of impersonating senior officials from the Insurance Ombudsman. The syndicate allegedly defrauded a local resident of ₹1.19 crore (₹11.9 million) by promising substantial payouts on lapsed insurance policies using forged documents, fake bank accounts, and fraudulently obtained SIM cards.
Impersonation and Lapsed Policy Claims
The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Moshirul Haque, Bharat Janak Singh Kapadia, Subhash Kumar, and Sahil Gusain. Following their arrest, all four suspects were produced in court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation. The scheme came to light after the victim approached the Cyber Crime Police Station, reporting that fraudsters posing as regulatory authorities assured him that an initial sum of ₹57 lakh would be released from old policies. The callers subsequently claimed that terminating the existing agent code and transferring the beneficiary profile would entitle the victim to a final settlement of over ₹1.03 crore.
Forged Identity and Modus Operandi
To execute the extortion, the gang gradually gained the victim’s trust before demanding continuous payments under various pretexts, including file processing charges, maintenance fees, transaction taxes, and full-and-final settlement fees. Believing these demands to be part of an official procedure, the victim executed multiple online transfers totaling ₹1.19 crore into specified bank accounts before realizing no payouts would be released.
Investigating officers revealed that prime accused Mohammad Moshirul Haque orchestrated the creation of fake identity documents, including fabricated identity cards, under the alias “Utsav Upadhyay.” A bank account opened using these forged credentials received approximately ₹43 lakh of the defrauded proceeds. Subhash Kumar, a cyber café operator, fabricated the forged identity documents, while Sahil Gusain facilitated document verification and procured SIM cards under fictitious names. Once funds hit the compromised accounts, Bharat Janak Singh Kapadia withdrew physical cash through cheques and distributed the money among syndicate members while retaining a set commission.
Interstate Connections and Expert Advice
Cybersecurity expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh highlighted that criminal syndicates frequently exploit the names of regulatory authorities and insurance agencies to extract administrative fees from unsuspecting policyholders. He urged the public to independently verify the credentials of anyone claiming to represent official bodies before making online transfers. Gurugram Police suspect the syndicate has targeted victims across multiple states using a similar modus operandi and are currently working to trace secondary banking channels and recover the defrauded funds.
