The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested Abhishek Agarwal, a chartered accountant, and the alleged kingpin behind a massive Rs750 crore cyber fraud case, at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Agarwal, a resident of Ashok Vihar in North West Delhi, is accused of orchestrating a widespread fake loan app racket in collaboration with Chinese nationals. Authorities say thousands of Indians were exploited through deceitful loan applications that harvested personal data and led to widespread blackmail.
Investigators found Agarwal had established 35–40 shell companies, with 13 registered under his name and 28 under his wife’s. Several had Chinese co-directors. These firms allegedly handled suspicious transactions worth over Rs750 crore.
Agarwal reportedly travelled to Shanghai and Shenzhen in 2019 to facilitate coordination with foreign operatives, helping bring Chinese nationals into India to build the scam’s infrastructure.
The gang operated over 15 fraudulent loan apps, including Inst Loan, Maxi Loan, KK Cash, RupeeGo, and Lendkar. These apps lured victims with promises of fast loans and minimal documentation.
Once installed, the apps accessed users’ phone data, including contacts, photos, and messages. The accused then blackmailed victims using doctored images and threatening messages, coercing them into paying huge sums to avoid public embarrassment.
Earlier, Ankur Dhingra, linked to Hector Lendkaro (a firm operating some of these apps), was arrested from Gurgaon. In 2023, a call center in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, suspected to be part of the ring, was raided and SIM boxes were seized.
Agarwal allegedly named five Chinese nationals involved in the scam:
Difan Wang
Zhenbo He
Miao Zhang
Yongguang Kuang
Wenxue Li
Items seized from Agarwal include multiple currencies, digital devices, a passport, and an Apple Watch. The STF, led by SSP Navneet Singh, with officers Swapna Kishore, Ankush Mishra, and Vikas Bhardwaj, is coordinating with other agencies and Interpol to probe the international network.
Data from bank accounts, WhatsApp chats, and registered SIMs are being analyzed. Many victims were manipulated under fear and shame into transferring large sums.
This arrest marks a major breakthrough in a complex, interstate cybercrime investigation that spans both domestic and foreign territories.