The Delhi Cyber Police have apprehended four individuals linked to a significant online investment scam. These suspects were allegedly responsible for establishing bank accounts for scammers operating throughout India. The investigation was initiated following 72 complaints registered on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ NCRP portal, which revealed a concerning rise in cybercrime and online investment fraud.
Among the victims was Arjun Sethi, a Deputy General Manager of IT at an international LLP, who lost Rs42 lakhs after responding to an advertisement on Instagram. He was subsequently added to a WhatsApp group named “Vanguard Group 249,” where he was persuaded to invest. When he attempted to withdraw his funds, the scammers demanded additional payments, prompting him to file a complaint on March 10, 2024.
The Delhi Cyber Crime Cell, South West District, successfully arrested Chetan Singh Ranawat, Nikunj Ashvinbhai Makvana, Aditya Sonkar, and Sumit Shaw across various states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. The police also recovered five smartphones that were used in the commission of the crimes. Utilizing banking data, phone numbers, email addresses, and IP addresses, the police traced the illicit funds to eleven different bank accounts spread across multiple states.
On September 27, a police team led by Sub Inspector Jagdeep Nara executed raids in Surat, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. Investigations uncovered that Nikunj Ashvinbhai Makvana possessed a bank account directly linked to the scam. Further inquiries revealed that the suspects had opened multiple bank accounts and sold them to scammers, facilitating their fraudulent activities.
