In a major breakthrough, the Cyber Crime Unit of the CID arrested Arati Gautam in New Delhi, in connection with a complex cyber fraud scheme involving Nigerian nationals and Indian collaborators. The arrest followed an investigation into a scam where a victim was duped of Rs 2.65 crore after being lured into a fake saffron supply project by fraudsters posing as officials from the World Bank.
The scam began in December 2023 when the victim was contacted on Facebook by a fraudster impersonating a former IAS officer from Odisha. The fraudster claimed to be working at the World Bank in Washington, DC, and proposed a business opportunity to supply saffron to the organization. The victim was convinced to enter into the project after a series of conversations via WhatsApp and email, where the fraudster provided fake procurement details for the World Bank’s saffron supply project.
To further the scam, the victim was introduced to a supposed supplier, claiming to be the regional manager at “Organics Merchandise,” an agent for saffron farmers in India. The victim was convinced to supply an initial batch of 10 kg of saffron, followed by a larger order of 110 kg, based on a fake purchase order from the World Bank.
The victim, believing the deal to be legitimate, transferred a total of Rs 2.65 crore to various bank accounts. However, as the fraudsters continued to demand more payments, the victim grew suspicious and realized they had been scammed. The victim then lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station.
Upon investigation, the Crime Branch traced the transactions to multiple bank accounts, which were found to be operated by mule accounts. Further analysis revealed the involvement of Nigerian nationals, Christopher Chizobam and Nnamdi Stanley Mbamai, who were responsible for withdrawing the funds from ATMs and coordinating with Indian accomplices.
The cyber criminals used various methods, including impersonating officials and creating fake companies, to manipulate the victim into transferring substantial sums of money. These transactions were funneled through a network of mule accounts to obscure the identity of the fraudsters.
The CID team successfully apprehended Arati Gautam in New Delhi, who is believed to have played a key role in coordinating the scam. The investigation also uncovered that the mule accounts involved in this operation had been used in over 94 cases of cyber fraud across 10 states, leading to further verification of their involvement in other fraudulent activities.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the full extent of the scam and are working to identify additional victims. The investigation has also uncovered that the cybercriminals are part of a larger international network, with their activities spanning across multiple countries