A Rs 799 online kurti order that never arrived has led Delhi Police to an alleged cyber fraud network linked to credit transactions worth more than Rs 30 crore, with seven people arrested and 27 complaints from different states connected to the case.
The investigation began after a Delhi University student from Ramjas College allegedly lost Rs 6,450 while trying to buy the kurti from an advertisement on a social media platform. Police said the student was redirected to WhatsApp, paid Rs 400 in advance through a QR code and was later repeatedly asked for additional payments on the pretext of generating a delivery passcode.
According to police, the seller subsequently demanded Rs 1,150 as a refundable charge, followed by payments of Rs 2,000, Rs 2,650 and Rs 650. The parcel was never delivered and the money was not refunded, police said.
DCP (north) Niharika Bhatt said investigators analysed nearly 200 mobile numbers and International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers, along with banking transactions and digital records obtained from companies. The money trail led investigators from the cheated amount to a merchant account and then to a bank account linked to a firm in Greater Noida. Further tracing took the team to Greater Noida and Kanpur.
Police said sustained surveillance led to coordinated raids in Greater Noida on October 16, during which Aditya Mishra, Ayush Verma, Abhishek Pal, Himanshu Rana, Rahul Kumar and Gaurav Pandey were arrested. Udit Pratap Singh Bhadauriya was arrested in Kanpur on October 21.
Searches at rented premises in Greater Noida allegedly led investigators to three firms that police believe were used to open current accounts later supplied to cyber fraudsters. Police said Mishra told investigators that he, Bhadauriya, Verma and Pal had established the firms and opened the accounts. The accounts were allegedly handed to Rana and Kumar for a monthly payment of Rs 25,000.
The two men allegedly supplied the accounts, banking kits and linked SIM cards to Pandey, an MBA graduate. Police said Pandey operated a network that supplied bank accounts to people identified as Maxwell and Solitaire on a commission basis. The two allegedly communicated using WhatsApp numbers with US country codes.
Investigators allege that the accounts were used to receive and route money obtained through cyber fraud. The arrests and seizures point to a layered operating model in which social-media sellers, payment channels, bank accounts, SIM cards and merchant facilities were allegedly distributed among different participants. Police have linked 27 complaints from various states to the network, but the investigation into the full extent of the alleged transactions is continuing.
Police seized 20 mobile phones, 45 SIM cards, 39 point-of-sale machines, 33 debit cards, 28 cheque books, 15 scanners, two laptops and banking documents during the searches. The accused include graduates in business administration, computer applications and arts, along with individuals holding technical qualifications, police said.
The case remains based on allegations made during the investigation. The next steps will involve examining the seized devices and financial records, tracing additional accounts and establishing how the alleged network was connected to the complaints registered across states.
