The cybercrime cell of Balrampur Police has cracked a major fraud case involving illegal online gaming and loan applications, arresting three key members of an inter-state racket operating across Uttar Pradesh.
The accused, identified as Rahul Mishra from Amethi, Nirmal Kumar of Bahora in Farrukhabad, and Dharmendra Singh from Auraiya, were apprehended in Lucknow on Monday.
Authorities seized three Android smartphones containing details of 85 bank accounts linked to the syndicate. Among these, 31 accounts revealed suspicious transactions totaling over Rs60.24 crore.
Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar reported that seven arrests have been made so far in connection with the scam, with ongoing investigations uncovering a staggering Rs112 crore in financial dealings. The gang also reportedly funneled a portion of these funds to Pakistan via cryptocurrency transfers.
The accused operated through illegal betting and gaming apps such as Superpay, Bropay, Sarkpay, Avitor, and Teenpatti. They recruited victims by adding them to Telegram and WhatsApp groups, promising easy money before entrapping them in betting scams. The illicit funds were circulated through multiple rented “mule” bank accounts for commission, converted into cryptocurrency, and sent abroad.
Agents facilitating these accounts reportedly received a 10% cut from the illicit earnings.
In addition to gaming fraud, the group ran fake loan apps that disbursed small amounts to borrowers but levied exorbitant interest rates and used pressure tactics to extract large sums.
Data recovered from the confiscated phones included Telegram group details, WhatsApp chats, bank account information, and crypto wallet records linked to the fraud. Police are currently working with cryptocurrency exchanges to track wallet-to-wallet transactions and identify international operatives involved in the network.
