In a significant bust, the Special Task Force (STF) and state cyber crime police apprehended three individuals from the Delhi-NCR region on Thursday for allegedly defrauding a woman in Dehradun of Rs21 lakh by offering a fake ‘work from home’ opportunity.
The suspects have been identified as Pratham Shokeen, 24, and Mukul Godhara, 20, both hailing from Gurgaon, alongside Subhash Sharma, 25, from New Delhi.
Authorities discovered that the trio was linked to at least 56 similar scams across India. They frequently traveled to Dubai to withdraw illicit funds from ATMs, converting them into Dirham to purchase cryptocurrency, which was then sent to their ‘Chinese masterminds.’
According to Ankush Mishra, DSP of the state cyber crime police, all three men were college dropouts. They first contacted the victim earlier this year via a messaging app, posing as representatives of a well-known Australian electronics firm. After building her trust, they lured her into investing in a fraudulent online trading platform, initially presenting her with attractive returns. However, once she had invested a substantial amount, they cut off her access to her funds, leading her to realize she had been scammed.
During questioning, the suspects admitted to their trips to Dubai for withdrawing stolen money from ATMs. They explained that they opted to buy cryptocurrency there due to favorable exchange rates, which they then transferred to their accomplices in China. This marks a notable first in investigations, as it is the first time that fraudsters have acknowledged withdrawing money directly from Dubai. The investigation is ongoing, with efforts being made to locate their accomplices.
