LUDHIANA, PUNJAB: In a major breakthrough, the Ludhiana Police have arrested a 22-year-old professional cyber fraudster from West Bengal involved in duping hundreds of people, primarily senior citizens, across India. The accused, identified as Sandeep Singh of North 24 Parganas, was apprehended after months of digital tracking and inter-state coordination.
Singh was part of a larger cyber fraud racket that systematically impersonated customer care executives of prominent digital payment and e-commerce platforms. Victims were lured into sharing sensitive personal and banking information, leading to unauthorised transactions and theft.
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According to police officials, Singh and his associates would typically call victims posing as representatives from platforms like Paytm, PhonePe, or Amazon. Under the pretext of KYC verification or refund processing, they convinced users to download remote-access applications, such as AnyDesk or QuickSupport, which allowed them to gain control over victims’ phones and financial apps.
The Ludhiana police stated that over 100 FIRs linked to Singh’s mobile number and IP addresses had been registered across multiple states, including Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. Singh reportedly managed to steal lakhs of rupees from elderly individuals who were unfamiliar with the workings of digital platforms.
During the arrest, law enforcement recovered multiple mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards, and bank passbooks used in executing the fraud. Authorities believe Singh worked as part of a West Bengal-based cybercrime syndicate and was operating out of a rented apartment in his hometown.
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Nationwide Cybercrime Crackdown Intensifies
The arrest is part of a broader initiative by Punjab Police to crack down on interstate cyber fraud operations that have surged with increased digital transactions post-COVID-19. The Ludhiana Commissioner of Police emphasised the importance of public awareness and advised citizens not to share OTPs, bank details, or install unknown applications under any circumstances.
Police are now expanding their investigation to trace Singh’s accomplices and the full scale of financial damage caused by the syndicate. The case highlights the growing challenge law enforcement faces with tech-savvy fraudsters exploiting digital loopholes.
