₹75 Crore Fake GST Scam Uncovered in Thane: Cyber Criminals Created Shell Firms Using Stolen Digital Identity

Thane – In a major cyber-financial crime that has rattled India’s tax ecosystem, the Thane Cyber Police have uncovered a sophisticated ₹75.48 crore fake GST transaction racket. Investigators revealed that a man from Mumbai’s Andheri suburb, along with his associates, fraudulently used the digital identity of a laptop sales professional to create multiple fake companies and file bogus GST claims.

According to police officials, the scam was meticulously planned and executed between November 2024 and April 2025. The accused first gained the trust of the victim and his friend by offering to “help” them with their online GST filings. Once they obtained access to the victims’ user IDs and passwords, they used those credentials to fabricate false invoices and record fake business transactions through a web of shell firms.

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Investigations show that these fraudulent entries created an artificial transaction volume of ₹75,48,42,087, giving the appearance of legitimate trade activity that never took place. “It was a highly sophisticated financial manipulation — on paper it looked like a real business operation, but it was entirely fake,” a police officer told Aaj Tak.

The 33-year-old victim discovered the scam only after receiving notices for bogus GST claims filed under his name. A quick audit of his account exposed the fraud — someone had used his credentials to execute a large-scale tax manipulation.

The main accused, a resident of Andheri, Mumbai, has been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, and under provisions of the Information Technology Act.

A senior police officer described the case as:

“A sophisticated blend of cyber intrusion and financial deception. The accused exploited digital vulnerabilities within the GST system to misuse authentic user identities for fake tax filings.”

The cyber cell is now tracking the digital footprints and financial trails of the shell firms linked to the scam. Early findings suggest this may not be an isolated incident but part of a larger cyber network that systematically uses stolen online identities to defraud the government exchequer.

Investigators are also probing how the accused accessed confidential credentials — whether through phishing attacks, malware infiltration, or insider collusion.

Cybersecurity experts have called this case a wake-up call for India’s digital tax infrastructure. As one analyst noted, “Cybersecurity is no longer just about protecting bank accounts or personal data. It’s about safeguarding the very architecture of the nation’s revenue system.”