NEW DELHI: The Inter State Cell (ISC) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a well-organised inter-state cyber fraud network involved in digital arrest scams, online investment fraud and large-scale money laundering across several states. Two key accused have been arrested in two separate cases, with investigators tracing a financial trail amounting to crores of rupees.
In the first case, a resident of Bank Enclave in New Delhi was cheated of ₹31.45 lakh through a fraudulent online investment scheme. The victim was added to a WhatsApp group and persuaded to download a fake trading application, Cventura. Enticed by assurances of high returns, he transferred money into six different bank accounts.
Soon after the transfers were made, the WhatsApp group disappeared and the application became non-functional. A case was registered under Sections 308, 318(4), 319 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and subsequently handed over to the Crime Branch for investigation.
During the probe, police discovered that the cheated amount had been routed through multiple mule bank accounts to layer and siphon off the funds. Acting on technical surveillance, scrutiny of banking records and mobile location analysis, teams conducted raids in Ludhiana and Khanna in Punjab, leading to the arrest of two accused whose accounts had received the money at the first level.
Further investigation took the police to Gujarat, where Arjun Singh (39), a resident of Surendranagar, was arrested on December 27, 2025. Singh was found to be operating a second-layer mule account, from which he withdrew the fraud proceeds and earned a commission of ₹2 lakh. His mobile phone, SIM card, ATM card and cheque book were seized. Two of his associates remain absconding.
The second case pertains to a USA-based NRI woman who filed a complaint through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). She alleged that after arriving in Delhi on October 1, 2025, she received a WhatsApp call from an international number in the early hours of October 6.
The caller impersonated an official from the San Francisco Embassy and falsely informed her that she needed to obtain a No Objection Certificate to re-enter the United States. The call was then purportedly transferred to officials posing as Delhi Police personnel. The fraudsters conducted daily video calls while wearing fake police uniforms, placing the victim under so-called “digital arrest” and repeatedly threatening her with legal action.
Under intense pressure and intimidation, the victim was coerced into transferring ₹30 lakh into a mule account. A case was registered on November 7, 2025, at the Crime Branch.
Investigations revealed that the amount was credited on October 9, 2025, into the bank account of Varnav Infotech, a partnership firm based in SAS Nagar, Punjab. The firm was registered in the names of two partners — Varun, a resident of Mohali, and Navjot Chaudhary of Balachaur. The funds were immediately transferred to multiple other accounts and withdrawn through cheques from different states within minutes.
Following raids in Mohali and Chandigarh, police arrested Varun on December 27, 2025. Searches conducted at his residence and vehicle resulted in the recovery of 38 ATM cards, 51 cheque books, five passbooks, four mobile phones, a laptop, a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle and ₹2.45 lakh in cash.
During questioning, Varun disclosed that he had previously operated a call centre in Mohali. After suffering business losses, he shut it down and later opened a current bank account in his firm’s name at the behest of an associate, handing over its debit card, cheque book and SIM card. In return, he received ₹5 lakh as commission for allowing the account to be used for fraudulent transactions.
According to the Crime Branch, the probe has uncovered a multi-state cyber crime syndicate using digital arrest scams, fake investment WhatsApp groups, bogus apps and layered mule accounts arranged through commission-based agents. Several mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards, cheque books and banking documents have been seized, while technical and financial investigations are ongoing to identify more victims, trace end beneficiaries and freeze the remaining funds.
Police said efforts are underway to arrest the absconding accused and completely dismantle the network.
