Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested two more accused in a cyber fraud network allegedly operating through fake loan apps, forged identities and job scam promises. Investigators said the gang cheated victims of lakhs of rupees by offering easy loans and employment opportunities while using forged documents, Delhi-activated SIM cards and mule bank accounts to move funds.
Forged Documents Used to Build Fake Identities
The arrested accused have been identified as Shaezab, a resident of Shyam Nagar Road with present address at Fatehullahpur in Lohianagar, and Vakil, a resident of Zakir Hussain Colony in Lohianagar, Meerut. Police said both were arrested during coordinated late-night raids at their respective locations.
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Investigators said the accused were systematically creating false identities to run the fraud operation. Vakil, described as an eighth-pass CSC centre operator, allegedly manipulated Aadhaar cards, PAN cards and other identity documents to generate forged identities.
Shaezab, described as fifth-pass, allegedly created fake Aadhaar credentials and used altered names such as “Umang” and “Vishal” for fraudulent activities. Police said SIM cards were activated from Delhi using these forged documents and then used in the scam.
Fake Loan Firms and Mule Accounts Under Lens
Police said the phone numbers obtained through forged documents were linked to fake loan companies named “Umang”, “Sneha Bandhan” and “Capital”. Victims were allegedly contacted through these entities and lured with promises of loans and jobs before being cheated.
Preliminary investigation has linked the syndicate to at least 16 cyber fraud complaints across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. The accused allegedly used several mule bank accounts to transfer and layer funds, making the money trail harder to detect.
In earlier action, police had arrested other members of the gang, including Shah Alam alias Rajeev Sharma alias Pradeep and Sangeet Kumar alias Pradeep Chaudhary. Their interrogation helped investigators uncover the gang’s operational structure and the fake company network used in the fraud.
Mastermind Still Absconding
Officials said the alleged mastermind, Shoaib, a resident of Sindhawali in Kankarkheda, remains absconding along with his associate Furkan. Police teams are carrying out raids to trace both suspects.
Electronic devices seized from the accused have revealed digital evidence, including forged PAN cards, bank account records and chat logs linked to the fraud. Police said the data suggests that victims were targeted across several states and that multiple small transactions were used to collect larger amounts.
Authorities said the network relied on fake applications, call-centre-style operations and layered banking transactions to hide money trails. The investigation is continuing, and police expect more arrests as they work to dismantle the wider cyber fraud network.
