Shahjahanpur: In a major crackdown on cybercrime, Shahjahanpur Police have arrested six persons for running a multi-crore investment fraud racket under the guise of a fake investment company. The accused were operating a fraudulent call centre in Jalalabad area and cheated people across multiple states by promising high returns on stock market investments.
The arrests were made following a detailed investigation triggered through the Pratibimbh Portal, a cybercrime monitoring system used to trace suspicious mobile activity linked to online frauds.
Fake Investment Firm, Real Money Fraud
According to Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, the accused had created a fake company named SLG Digi, posing as an online investment advisory firm. Using fake trading applications and QR codes, they convinced victims to invest money with the promise of three-times returns.
Victims were shown fake profit figures through manipulated applications. However, when they attempted to withdraw their money, their accounts were blocked and all communication was cut off.
“The gang operated like a professional call centre and targeted people across different states. Their entire setup was designed to look genuine,” the SP said.
How the Racket Was Exposed
The case came to light after a complaint was received through the cybercrime portal regarding a suspicious mobile number. Cyber experts traced the number’s location to a rented house in Jalalabad.
After surveillance and technical analysis, police raided the premises and arrested six accused, including the alleged mastermind Twinkle Gupta, a resident of Azad Nagar.
List of Arrested Accused
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Twinkle Gupta – Resident of Azad Nagar
- Pranjal Saxena alias Pulkit – Dayal Nagar
- Nihal Saxena alias Kunal
- Deepanshu
- Siddhant Mishra alias Jhamman – Sarai Sadhu
- Rohit Rathore – Mohalla Mahajan
Police said most of the accused are well-educated, with degrees such as MBA, M.Com and B.Com.
Modus Operandi: How the Fraud Worked
According to investigators:
- Victims were contacted using data purchased from illegal data vendors
- Fake investment apps like Global Trade APK were shared
- Money was collected through QR codes
- Funds were transferred into multiple mule bank accounts
- Fake profits were shown to gain trust
- Accounts were blocked when withdrawal was requested
Police found that the gang had used over 50 SIM cards and 13 mule bank accounts to execute the fraud.
Large-Scale Seizure During Raid
During the raid, police recovered:
- 69 laptops
- 10 mobile phones
- 26 SIM cards
- 4 Wi-Fi routers
- 1 printer and UPS
- 34 laptop chargers
- 1 Mahindra Thar SUV
- 4 motorcycles
- Multiple bank documents and QR codes
Officials said the accused had been living a luxurious lifestyle funded entirely by fraudulent money.
Fraud Spread Across Multiple States
Preliminary investigation reveals that victims were located in:
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Gujarat
- Bihar
- Rajasthan
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
Police estimate the fraud amount to be several crores of rupees, though exact figures will be known after bank account analysis.
Another Accused on the Run
Police said Twinkle Gupta’s brother, who managed technical operations, escaped after changing system passwords. Efforts are underway to track him, and cyber experts are trying to retrieve deleted data from seized devices.
Police Warning to Public
SP Rajesh Dwivedi urged people to remain cautious while investing online: “Do not trust unknown investment links or apps. Never scan QR codes sent by strangers. In case of cyber fraud, report immediately on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.”
