Bengaluru’s North Division Cyber Crime Station police have arrested ten individuals involved in a nationwide scam that defrauded people of Rs6 crore, including victims from Bengaluru. The accused lured individuals by promising fake online job opportunities.
Among those arrested are Syed Yahya (32), Umar Farooq (34), Mohammad Maheen (32), and others, all residents of Bengaluru. Authorities seized Rs1.74 lakh in cash, 72 mobile phones, 182 debit cards, 2 laptops, 133 SIM cards, and 127 bank passbooks connected to the crime.
The scam came to light when a resident of T. Dasarahalli, identified as Ramesh (name changed), was entangled in a cryptocurrency trading scheme. Ramesh received a WhatsApp message in June about an online job opportunity, which led him to a Telegram group where he was tasked with reviewing luxury hotels for small payments to build trust.
Eventually, the scammer convinced Ramesh to invest in cryptocurrency with promises of high returns. Trusting the scammer, Ramesh transferred Rs25.37 lakh to various bank accounts between June 1 and June 20. When the promised returns failed to materialize, he reported the fraud to the police, prompting an investigation.
Police tracked down the fraudsters by tracing the bank accounts used for Ramesh’s transfers. Seven of the accused were arrested near a Coffee Day outlet in RT Nagar, Bengaluru, leading to the seizure of 23 mobile phones, Rs1.24 lakh in cash, 99 debit cards, 50 SIM cards, and 41 passbooks.
During interrogation, the arrested individuals disclosed that three of them—Syed Yahya, Umar Farooq, and Mohammad Maheen—had traveled to China to meet the masterminds behind the cyber fraud. A lookout notice was issued for their arrest, resulting in their apprehension at Kempegowda International Airport on September 15 upon their return from China, along with additional mobile phones, debit cards, passbooks, and ATM cards used in the scam.
The investigation revealed that the masterminds of the Rs6 crore fraud were Chinese nationals. Following instructions from these kingpins, Syed Yahya and Umar Farooq formed their gang to target victims across multiple states by offering fake online jobs. Their operation was based in a rented office in Nelagadaranahalli under Peenya police station limits, where police recovered 47 bank passbooks, 48 SIM cards, 31 debit cards, and 9 mobile phones.
The accused have been linked to cyber fraud cases in 21 states, with 122 cases registered against them on the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCRP). Victims were reported in various states, including Karnataka, Assam, Chandigarh, and more.
The investigation also revealed that the accused obtained bank passbooks, SIM cards, and debit cards from intermediaries who provided these documents for a commission. After committing the fraud, the scammers would quickly withdraw the money and distribute a share to the account holders.