Delhi Police have arrested four men involved in a massive Rs 100 crore cyber fraud, where victims were lured through fake trading websites and money was routed via mule accounts held by financially vulnerable individuals. The accused — Sunny Mishra (22), Kuldeep Kumar (25), Gaurav (20), and Sumit Pradhan (27), a bank employee — were apprehended in Ludhiana on July 16, according to DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam.
The syndicate’s digital trail connects them to 34 cybercrime cases across India, with losses exceeding Rs 100 crore. The gang operated through a network of bogus trading platforms, enticing victims with promises of high returns. One victim, a businessman from Delhi, lost Rs 48.35 lakh after being deceived by a woman posing as a financial advisor on social media.
Investigations revealed the accused used multiple mule bank accounts in the names of vulnerable individuals to funnel and withdraw defrauded money. Sunny Mishra managed an account receiving Rs 6.2 lakh from a complainant, while Kuldeep Kumar controlled another account receiving Rs 6 lakh from a shell entity. Gaurav organized fake accounts and passed their credentials to Sumit Pradhan, who facilitated large cash withdrawals while bypassing verification protocols.
A coordinated operation between field units in Ludhiana and cyber cell teams in Delhi led to the arrests. Police seized seven high-end mobiles and documents linked to multiple mule accounts connected to shell companies and fraudulent investment platforms.
One bank account linked to a shell firm was involved in 22 complaints across several states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi, covering phishing, digital arrest scams, and fake investment frauds.
Forensic analysis identified 24 more suspicious mule accounts and 23 linked bank accounts have been uncovered. Many accounts were used for “layering” to conceal the origins of illicit money and facilitate cash withdrawals from fake schemes.
Authorities continue to track victims and deepen investigations to dismantle the full extent of the fraud network.
