A major cybercrime investigation has uncovered an alleged interstate fraud network with suspected overseas links, leading to the arrest of three individuals accused of operating a sophisticated online investment scam that investigators say siphoned off nearly ₹3.75 crore from victims across multiple states.
The breakthrough came after the Gurugram Police Crime Branch traced financial transactions linked to a complaint involving the alleged cheating of a city resident. During the probe, investigators identified a network allegedly functioning from a rented apartment in Delhi, from where the accused are suspected to have coordinated fraudulent financial operations targeting people across the country.
Police identified the arrested men as Janak, Dinesh Kumar, and Pawan Kumar. According to investigators, Pawan had previously lived in Dubai, a development that has prompted agencies to examine possible international connections behind the operation. Officials are probing whether methods used by the accused were influenced by foreign-based cybercrime networks and whether any handlers operating outside India were involved in directing the racket.
Authorities described the case as a significant cyber fraud exposure, claiming that the network may have been linked to transactions amounting to nearly ₹3.75 crore. The investigation initially gained momentum after a Gurugram resident reported losing ₹2.53 crore in an alleged investment scam. During financial scrutiny, police tracked part of the diverted funds to a bank account registered in the name of a private company.
Digital analysis of mobile numbers linked to the account eventually led investigators to Delhi. Using technical surveillance and cyber intelligence tools, police teams located and apprehended the suspects before expanding the probe into the group’s wider operations.
A search of the premises resulted in the recovery of a large quantity of material believed to have been used in the alleged fraud. Police seized 25 passports, 53 ATM cards, five cheque books, 36 mobile phones, and two internet-enabled cameras. Officials said the volume of recovered documents and devices indicates that the operation may have been far larger than initially suspected.
Preliminary questioning suggested that the accused allegedly worked under the direction of other individuals and was tasked with moving money received through fraudulent transactions from one account to another. Investigators believe the suspects were recruited through encrypted online communication channels and had been active in cybercrime-related activities for several months.
According to police, the group allegedly lured victims by promising lucrative returns through online investment opportunities. Prospective investors were reportedly directed to digital platforms designed to display rising profits and growing account balances. Investigators said victims were encouraged to invest larger sums after seeing apparent gains on their dashboards.
However, officials alleged that once investors attempted to withdraw their money, access to the platforms was restricted or blocked, leaving them unable to recover their funds. By that stage, the money had allegedly been transferred through multiple accounts, making recovery difficult.
Police sources said the investigation has already revealed links to at least 15 complaints registered in different parts of the country. Authorities expect the scale of the fraud to increase as more records are examined and additional victims come forward.
Investigators are now scrutinising banking transactions, digital devices, and communication records recovered during the operation to identify other members of the network and determine whether the suspected Dubai connection extends beyond the arrested individuals. The probe remains ongoing.