In a major breakthrough, Puducherry cybercrime police arrested four individuals on Friday for allegedly duping a local resident of Rs 17.71 lakh with a false promise of a lucrative job opportunity in Canada. The arrest led to the unearthing of a nationwide network involved in defrauding more than 3,400 people across India of over Rs 200 crore by offering fake overseas employment opportunities.
The arrested individuals—Shubham Sharma (29), Neeraj Gurjar (28), Deepak Kumar (28), and Raj Gound (23)—were apprehended in Bengaluru, where they were hiding. In a subsequent raid, the police seized Rs 41 lakh in cash, 21 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards, 64 ATM cards, two passports, and a laptop.
Police had registered a case after receiving a complaint from a Puducherry resident, who had been lured into transferring a significant amount of money for a supposed job in Canada. Using mobile numbers provided by the complainant, police traced the suspects through their communications on WhatsApp and Telegram, eventually locating them in Bengaluru.
Upon questioning, the gang members admitted to being part of a larger, well-organized scam network that has successfully targeted over 3,400 victims. The gang’s fraudulent activities spanned multiple states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and others, with a total loss amounting to over Rs 200 crore. Police also found that the gang had several cases pending against them in various states.
The accused revealed that the mastermind behind the scam was Asam Khan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Khan, who is currently at large, reportedly trained the suspects and others in how to target people, convincing them to transfer large sums of money online into various bank accounts. According to the police, Khan set a goal of defrauding Rs 6 crore per individual annually and promised his associates a 50% commission.
Puducherry police are now working with authorities across the country to track down other members of the gang, including Asam Khan. The arrested individuals have been remanded to judicial custody, with further investigations underway.
