NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on cybercrime, the Delhi Police has arrested 27 individuals following a weeklong operation spanning 10 states. The accused are allegedly linked to multiple cyber fraud syndicates involved in investment scams, malicious APK file frauds, social media impersonation, credit card scams, task-based frauds and visa-related cheating.
The arrests were made by teams from the Cyber West police station during coordinated raids in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said the action was connected to 10 major cyber fraud cases in which victims were allegedly cheated of more than ₹1.5 crore. Around 150 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) were found linked to bank accounts and mobile numbers used by the accused.
Financial scrutiny of the accounts under investigation revealed suspicious transactions amounting to nearly ₹14 crore, which police suspect are tied to fraudulent activities.
According to investigators, the syndicates allegedly targeted victims through fake online investment platforms promising high returns. In several cases, they circulated malicious APK files disguised as legitimate banking applications to gain access to personal and financial data. The accused are also believed to have impersonated individuals on social media platforms to deceive people into transferring money.
Other methods included task-based earning schemes, where victims were promised commissions for completing online tasks, and visa-related frauds.
“Among the cases probed were a visa-related fraud of ₹15 lakh, a task-based scam of ₹4.7 lakh, and multiple investment frauds involving ₹12.4 lakh, ₹33.3 lakh, ₹19.5 lakh and ₹6.5 lakh. There were also instances of APK-based impersonation of bank officials, along with credit card and social media impersonation scams,” DCP Bhaskar said.
Police said the accused, aged between 20 and 42, hail from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. The network operated across states, with different members assigned specific roles such as managing bank accounts, procuring SIM cards, handling digital transactions and withdrawing funds.
During the operation, officers seized 25 mobile phones, 28 SIM cards, 20 debit and credit cards, one point-of-sale (POS) machine, a motorcycle and various bank documents and account kits allegedly used in carrying out the frauds.
Further investigation is underway to trace additional beneficiaries and uncover the full extent of the interstate cybercrime network.
