Two men have been arrested for allegedly cheating individuals by advertising fake discounted airline tickets on social media, police confirmed on Thursday.
The accused — Salman Sayeed Siddiqui (50), a resident of Lajpat Nagar-2, Delhi, and Rohit Rajaram Ghanekar (29), from Virar East, Maharashtra — reportedly operated a well-organized cyber scam using VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The scam began with online ads promising cheap flight tickets. Unsuspecting victims who clicked the ads were lured into sharing personal and payment information through conversations initiated over virtual mobile numbers.
One such victim filed a complaint on November 19, 2024, reporting a loss of Rs47,681 after responding to an ad for a Delhi-to-Toronto flight. Believing it was a legitimate offer, the victim transferred money and shared sensitive details, which were then misused.
Police say that this case is part of a larger fraud operation and are currently investigating how the stolen data may have been used, including in possible identity theft or financial fraud.
