New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested six suspects linked to multiple interstate cybercrime syndicates allegedly involved in “digital arrest”, fake IPO and trading scams, unearthing swindling of around Rs 10.6 crore related to 89 complaints, an official said on Wednesday.
The accused were arrested following multiple raids across Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Police said the accused are linked to at least four cyber fraud cases, which primarily targeted unsuspecting citizens including the elderly through sophisticated online scams.
In one case related to a “digital arrest” scam, an elderly couple was allegedly duped of Rs 20 lakh by cybercriminals posing as TRAI and CBI officials, who extorted them through psychological coercion for nearly a week using fake warrants and arrest threats.
During investigation, Rs 18.5 lakh was traced to a bank account linked to an enterprise operated by accused Shashikant Kumar, who was arrested from Ranchi. Police said around Rs 11 lakh has been refunded to the complainant through court orders.
In another case involving a fake IPO investment scheme, a complainant was cheated of Rs 7.79 lakh through a WhatsApp group and a fraudulent mobile application promising high returns.
The probe led to the arrest of Khalid Tyagi from Roorkee in Uttarakhand, who allegedly arranged mule accounts for routing the money. The account linked to him was found connected with 25 complaints involving around Rs 4.08 crore.
A separate trading fraud scam saw a victim being duped of Rs 1.88 lakh on the pretext of online stock investments.
The accused, Sachin Mittal, was apprehended from Shahdara in Delhi. The account used in the fraud was linked to 24 complaints involving over Rs 1 crore, police said.
In another “digital arrest” case involving alleged SIM misuse, a victim was threatened and forced to transfer Rs 8 lakh.
Police said swift action led to 100 per cent recovery of the amount from a Bhopal-based account. Three accused — Asif, Nitin Saini and Virender Mukkhiya — were arrested in this connection.
According to police, the accused used fake identities of law enforcement agencies, invoking fear through video calls and forged documents, and lured victims into transferring money for “verification” or investment purposes. The funds were then routed through multiple mule accounts to avoid detection.
Police said the syndicates relied on encrypted communication platforms, disposable SIM cards and a network of intermediaries operating across states.
Around Rs 19 lakh has been recovered so far and returned to victims through court orders. Mobile phones, cheque books and other incriminating materials have also been seized from the accused.
Efforts are underway to trace the remaining masterminds, including the kingpin, and to track financial trails to recover the rest of the defrauded amount, police added. PTI SSJ SSJ ARB ARB ARB
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