Davangere, Karnataka: In a major breakthrough, the Davangere Cyber Crime Police uncovered a massive Rs150 crore cyber fraud network operating across several Indian states. The police arrested Syed Arfat (28), a resident of Shantinagar, Belur taluk in Hassan district, while two other accused remain absconding.
The scam came to light after Pramod H.N., a Canara Bank account holder from Nittuvalli, Davangere, reported theft of Rs52.6 lakh from his account. Cyber crime officials traced the fraudulent transactions to Arfat’s bank accounts.
Investigations revealed that between July 27 and August 19, approximately Rs150 crore was credited to Arfat’s bank account. Of this, Rs132 crore had already been withdrawn, while police froze Rs18 crore in ongoing efforts to recover the stolen funds.
Police sources disclosed that the accused is linked to cyber fraud activities spanning Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir), Eluru (Andhra Pradesh), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Bengaluru, and Davangere (Karnataka). The group is believed to be part of a larger interstate syndicate that targets unsuspecting bank customers.
The investigation was led by DySP Bankali Nagappa under the supervision of Davangere SP Uma Prashanth, who lauded the cyber crime unit for their swift and effective operation.
Special teams have been formed to track down the remaining two accused. Authorities suspect the syndicate used fake job offers, phishing links, and money mule accounts to carry out large-scale online fraud.
