The Pimpri-Chinchwad police cyber cell has successfully arrested two individuals, including a Russian national, in connection with an online fraud case that duped an IT engineer of Rs71,05,000. The accused have been identified as Tony Anatoliy Mironov (30), a resident of Leninskaya, Orenburg City, Russia, currently residing in Mandrem, Goa, and Shreyash Sanjay Mane (22), from Shastrinagar, Kothrud in Pune. A third accomplice, identified only as Mark, is still at large, and efforts are underway to track him down.
The scam unfolded on November 26, when the victim, an IT engineer from Wakad, clicked on an advertisement link online promising high returns from share market investments. This led to the victim transferring a total of Rs71,05,000 in multiple installments. Investigators discovered that a significant portion of the money, Rs28 lakh, was deposited into a Cosmos Bank account operated in Goa. During their investigation, police learned that Mane had provided his bank account details to Tony for transferring the fraudulent funds.
The modus operandi of the accused involved Tony, the Russian national, who lured victims with promises of high returns from investments in shares and IPOs. Meanwhile, Mane used bank accounts of his friends, claiming the funds were winnings from online games, and regularly visited Goa to manage the illicit transactions. The investigation also revealed that the accused were possibly part of an international network operating out of Malaysia, as Tony had previously visited the country and had operated a bank account used in the fraud from there. Gujarat police have also filed two cybercrime cases against Tony.
After Tony Anatoliy Mironov’s arrest, he confessed to his role in the scam, alongside his associate Mane and their accomplice, Mark. The police have now obtained the court’s permission to keep the accused in police custody until December 15. Authorities are continuing their search for Mark, who is believed to be a key part of this international fraud network.