In a crime inspired by Netflix’s Money Heist, Delhi Police have arrested three men — Arpit, Prabhat Vajpayee, and Abbas — for allegedly duping investors of over Rs150 crore through fake stock market investment schemes.
Police revealed that Arpit, a lawyer by profession, assumed the alias “Professor”, while Prabhat Vajpayee, a Computer Science postgraduate, called himself “Amanda”, and Abbas used the name “Freddy.” The trio used these nicknames, inspired by the show, to conceal their real identities while operating online.
The gang created dozens of social media and WhatsApp groups, offering “exclusive” stock tips and promising extraordinary returns. Victims were first shown small profits to gain their trust. Once larger investments were made, the accounts were abruptly blocked, and those demanding withdrawals were threatened or manipulated into depositing more funds.
Police estimate the gang defrauded more than 300 people across India. The accused often operated from luxury hotels in Noida and Siliguri, using only mobile phones and laptops to execute the elaborate cybercrime.
During raids in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Siliguri (West Bengal), police seized 11 mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 bank passbooks, 32 debit cards, and numerous screenshots of online transactions and WhatsApp chats.
Investigations also uncovered links to Chinese cyber networks, suggesting that the trio may have coordinated with fraudsters based abroad. In addition to the Rs150 crore scam, the gang is believed to have cheated another Rs23 crore through separate online schemes.
Delhi Police continue to trace the gang’s wider network and possible international collaborators involved in the massive cyber fraud.
