Delhi Cyber Police Arrest Four in Nationwide Online Investment Scam
The Delhi Cyber Police team has arrested four individuals involved in an online investment scam. These individuals were responsible for setting up bank accounts for scammers across India. The case came to light after 72 complaints were recorded on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ NCRP portal, highlighting a rise in cybercrime and online investment fraud.
Victim’s Ordeal
Arjun Sethi, a DGM-IT in an international LLP, lost Rs 42 lakhs after responding to an Instagram ad. He was added to a WhatsApp group called “Vanguard Group 249” and convinced to invest. When he tried to withdraw his money, the scammers demanded more payments, leading him to file a complaint on March 10, 2024.
Police Investigation
The Delhi Cyber Crime Cell, South West District, arrested Chetan Singh Ranawat, Nikunj Ashvinbhai Makvana, Aditya Sonkar, and Sumit Shaw from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. Five smartphones used in the crimes were recovered. The police traced the money to eleven bank accounts across various states using banking data, phone numbers, email IDs, and IP addresses.
Arrests and Findings
On September 27, a police team led by Sub Inspector Jagdeep Nara conducted raids in Surat, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. They discovered that Nikunj Ashvinbhai Makvana had a bank account linked to the scam. Further investigation revealed that the suspects opened multiple bank accounts and sold them to scammers.
Public Advisory
Authorities urge the public to be cautious when investing online to avoid scams.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Cyber Police -: The Delhi Cyber Police is a special branch of the police in Delhi that deals with crimes related to computers and the internet, like hacking or online scams.
Online Investment Scam -: An online investment scam is when someone tricks people on the internet into giving them money by pretending it’s for a good investment, but they actually just steal the money.
Ministry of Home Affairs -: The Ministry of Home Affairs is a part of the Indian government that looks after internal security and domestic policy, including law and order.
NCRP portal -: The NCRP portal is an online platform where people in India can report cyber crimes, like online scams or frauds, to the authorities.
Instagram ad -: An Instagram ad is a paid advertisement that appears on the social media platform Instagram, which can sometimes be used by scammers to trick people.
Bank accounts sold to scammers -: This means that the suspects opened bank accounts and then gave or sold them to scammers, who used these accounts to hide or move the stolen money.