NEW DELHI: Police in Delhi say they have exposed a cross-border cyber-fraud ring that lured hundreds of Indians into fake online trading schemes, funneling an estimated ₹250 crore through mule accounts linked to handlers in China and Cambodia. The elaborate operation, investigators say, blended pop-culture mimicry, financial deception, and digital anonymity.
A Netflix-Inspired Network of Fraud
The arrests of three men in late October — Arpit Mishra, a 25-year-old lawyer from Jaipur; Prabhat Vajpayee, 22, a postgraduate student from Ghaziabad; and Mohammad Abbas Khan, 24, from Manipur — have exposed an unusual cybercrime enterprise whose members adopted screen names from the hit Netflix series Money Heist.
Police say Mishra went by “Professor,” while Vajpayee and Khan assumed the aliases “Amanda” and “Denver.” Two others, still absconding, called themselves “Berlin” and “Tokyo.” Behind the theatrical disguises was a complex financial web allegedly tied to Chinese handlers who laundered money through cryptocurrency and hawala channels.
According to investigators, the group’s primary role was to arrange “mule” bank accounts — those opened in the names of poor or unwitting individuals — which were then used to receive and route illicit funds. The proceeds were converted to digital assets and transferred overseas.
“They received commissions in cash through hawala,” an officer involved in the case said.
The Complaint That Unraveled the Web
The breakthrough came after a complaint by a 32-year-old Delhi government employee, identified as Rohit, who told police he had lost ₹21.77 lakh in what appeared to be a legitimate investment opportunity. The suspects, posing as representatives of a reputed financial-services firm, had added him to a WhatsApp group offering stock-market advice and persuaded him to invest in a so-called “Direct Market Account.” When his funds were later frozen, the scammers demanded more money under threat of forfeiture.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashish Mishra said the case was registered at the Northeast District Cyber Police Station, where a team led by Station House Officer Rahul Kumar and Sub-Inspector Nandan Singh began tracing the transactions.
“We found that the bank accounts receiving the money belonged to economically weaker individuals who had shared their credentials with the accused,” the DCP said.
Digital Trails From Noida to Siliguri — and Beyond
The investigation widened after police traced mobile-phone locations to Noida Sector 49, where Vajpayee and Khan were arrested on October 9. Officers recovered 11 phones, 17 SIM cards, 32 debit cards, and multiple forged documents. Later that month, Arpit Mishra was arrested from Siliguri, West Bengal, with three mobile phones and additional SIMs.
During interrogation, Mishra reportedly admitted to being in direct contact with his Chinese counterparts. Investigators allege that Vajpayee and Khan lured low-income individuals, kept them temporarily in hotels, and used their identities to open accounts and obtain OTPs — which were then shared with the foreign operators.
“These OTPs and credentials were the keys that connected the Indian front to the overseas masterminds,” a senior cyber-crime officer said.
A ₹250-Crore Operation in the Shadows of Global Fraud
Officials estimate the network may have duped hundreds of victims across India over the past 18 months, siphoning roughly ₹250 crore through fake trading platforms. Once transferred, the money moved through layers of mule accounts before being turned into cryptocurrency and routed to wallets operated from China and Cambodia.
For investigators, the task ahead lies in tracing those digital footprints beyond India’s borders — into the encrypted channels where “Professor” and his cast once played out their own high-stakes heist
