Delhi Police arrested three men for running a digital investment scam that allegedly duped people of over Rs 88 lakh, an officer said on Tuesday.
According to the police, they got their hands on them during coordinated raids across Delhi, Gurugram, and Hisar. The accused have been named as Ravi (19), Mandeep (21), and Kaleem (32) from Delhi’s Tughlakabad Extension.
“The men belonged to a cyber-enabled financial fraud ring that used threats, impersonation of police, and fake investment platforms to deceive victims,” said a senior police officer.
In one instance, a 71-year-old woman was reportedly coerced into transferring Rs 49 lakh after callers impersonating police threatened her with legal action.
In another case, a 43-year-old stationery shop owner was allegedly defrauded of Rs 39.5 lakh after being lured with promises of high returns from cryptocurrency investments, the officer mentioned in his statement.
According to police, Ravi and Kaleem created mule bank accounts to sell for commissions, with Mandeep being accused of distributing one of the accounts among the group.
The men reportedly moved often to evade capture, but police tracked them using a combination of technical surveillance and intelligence inputs.
The fraudsters used a standard digital arrest method, posing as authorities to intimidate victims into handing over money.
The accused allegedly operated bogus investment websites, routed funds through several bank accounts, and withdrew the cash from ATMs, enlisting unemployed youth to handle the accounts, police said.
Further investigation into this case is ongoing by the team, police added.