Hisar cyber crime police have busted an alleged online fraud racket operating from Bahbalpur village and arrested two men accused of cheating people through fake Instagram advertisements offering expensive iPhones at throwaway prices before taking money and failing to deliver the promised phones.
Raid in Bahbalpur Leads to Two Arrests
The arrested accused were identified as Saurabh and Lucky, both residents of Bahbalpur village. They were produced before a local court, which remanded them to one day police custody for further interrogation.
According to ASP Mayank Mudgil, the cyber police received specific information on May 13 that the accused were involved in cyber fraud activities. Acting on the tip off, the police team conducted a raid in the village and found both accused engaged in suspicious online activities through mobile phones and laptops.
During the search, police recovered several mobile phones, iPhones, laptops, bank passbooks of different banks, ATM cards, scanners, electronic devices and cash amounting to Rs 10,040 from their possession.
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Fake Instagram Ads Used to Lure Buyers
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were operating fake Instagram accounts displaying advertisements of expensive iPhones for as low as Rs 2,500. Police said the fake profiles were used to attract customers with unusually low prices.
According to investigators, the accused initially demanded Rs 100 as booking charges. After that, they allegedly extracted more money from victims in the name of delivery charges and other fees, getting the amount deposited into multiple bank accounts.
Police said the fraud was carried out entirely through these fake online profiles, which gave the impression that genuine products were being sold at highly discounted rates.
Police Probe Wider Network and More Victims
During questioning, the accused reportedly confessed that they never sent any actual mobile phones to customers and only cheated them to collect money. Police said the accused created new fake Instagram IDs whenever older accounts were blocked following complaints.
To avoid detection, they also allegedly used SIM cards obtained in the names of other persons. Officials said further investigation is under way to identify more victims and examine whether the accused have links to a wider cyber fraud network.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
