Indore Police bust inter-state online fraud gang, 5 arrested

Police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Friday claimed to have busted an interstate gang involved in online fraud using dummy bank accounts and a WhatsApp account allegedly operated from Cambodia.

According to the police, five persons, including a woman, have been arrested following an investigation into a complaint filed by an Indore resident who was allegedly duped of ₹93 lakh.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Kaladgi said the gang lured victims by promising high returns on investments. The proceeds of the fraud were routed through multiple bank accounts across India, while the WhatsApp account used to trap investors was being operated from Cambodia.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vishal Chauhan (25), Ganesh Rao (23), Rashmi Ranjan (24), Ashish Panwar (41), and Naivedya Sironja (20). Chauhan and Rao are from Maharashtra; Ranjan is from Odisha, while Panwar and Sironja are residents of Madhya Pradesh.

Police said the accused allegedly provided dummy bank accounts, also known as mule accounts, to the gang across different states in exchange for a commission of 1–2 per cent.

The investigation began after an Indore resident lodged a complaint at Bhanwarkuan police station, alleging he had been cheated of ₹93 lakh.

The DCP said the gang targeted people through social media platforms, promising high returns from stock market investments. Victims were added to WhatsApp groups and persuaded to download a fake mobile application.

The complainant reportedly invested around ₹93 lakh through the platform and was shown a notional profit of ₹4 crore. However, he was unable to withdraw the amount, which led him to realise that he had been defrauded.

Police have identified 20 to 25 dummy bank accounts linked to the gang. Transactions in these accounts have been frozen in coordination with banks, and further investigation is underway.