Delhi Police Arrest Four in Major Cyber Fraud Case Involving Japanese Firm Manager

Cyber Fraud Investigation Leads to Arrests

Authorities in Delhi have apprehended four suspects linked to a cyber fraud scheme that swindled over Rs 31 lakh from a manager of a Japanese company. The investigation, which spanned nearly a year, involved coordinated raids across multiple states, including Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The victim, identified as Rahul Iqbal, works for a Japanese firm and resides in Yamuna Vihar, Delhi. He reported the incident in May 2024, detailing how he received a call from someone claiming to represent a well-known courier service. This caller accused him of sending a parcel to Taiwan that allegedly contained illegal items like passports and drugs, stating that the matter had been escalated to the Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch.

Following this, another individual impersonated Sub-Inspector Naresh Gupta Banerjee, accusing Iqbal of serious crimes such as money laundering and drug trafficking. Under duress, he was coerced into participating in a so-called 'Mumbai investigation' and was instructed to download Skype while refraining from contacting anyone else. The fraudsters managed to extract sensitive personal and financial information from him, leading to a transfer of Rs 30,85,592 into fraudulent RBI accounts as a supposed 'verification' against the money laundering allegations.

The Cyber Police Station in North East Delhi filed a First Information Report (FIR) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, assigning the investigation to Sub Inspector Anuplata Yadav. Investigations revealed that Rs 20,10,000 of the stolen funds were funneled into Punjab National Bank accounts associated with a fictitious entity named 'Satish Traders,' which was registered using forged documents, including UDYAM registration and municipal licenses.

The account was opened by Satish Kumar Singh, a 34-year-old from Jharkhand, who was arrested during raids in Delhi. He is believed to be a primary beneficiary, having received around Rs 2 crores through these fraudulent accounts. During the arrest, police seized SIM cards and mobile devices used to create false documentation. Further investigations uncovered a network involved in establishing fake current accounts to facilitate the transfer of illicit funds obtained through digital arrest threats. Additionally, three other suspects were detained in Sirsa, including two account holders and one individual who provided accounts for the fraud operation. The Delhi Police have since frozen the fraudulent accounts and, following court orders, refunded Rs 11.5 lakhs to the victim. Efforts are ongoing to capture three to four additional suspects believed to be part of this criminal group, with raids still in progress.