In a major cyber crime breakthrough, Bangur Nagar police have arrested a 27-year-old habitual offender, Salim Akbar Siddiqui alias Abhishek Singh, for allegedly cheating policyholders by impersonating an insurance company employee. Siddiqui, a former staffer of the health insurance firm he defrauded, had access to dormant policy data, which he used to target unsuspecting clients.
The arrest came after a formal complaint by the deputy vice president of the insurance company, who reported that a policyholder was defrauded of Rs53,979 in December 2024. Siddiqui allegedly contacted the victim claiming to offer a 10% renewal discount and persuaded him to make two payments. He even sent a fake confirmation email resembling the company’s official domain to gain trust.
When the policy documents failed to arrive, the victim contacted the company, only to find no such transaction had occurred. An internal audit revealed at least six similar complaints, with an estimated fraud amount exceeding Rs1.80 lakh.
Siddiqui created fake UPI handles and email addresses that closely mimicked the company’s credentials. He then reached out to old clients and tricked them into transferring funds.
A joint operation by Bangur Nagar and Malwani police, supervised by DCP Anand Bhoite (Zone XI) and led by Senior Inspector Anil Thakarey, tracked Siddiqui to Malad West, using call data records and confidential tip-offs. He was arrested on Wednesday night and is currently in custody.
Police say Siddiqui is wanted in multiple cyber fraud cases across Mumbai and nearby regions, and further investigations are ongoing.
