Delhi Police Unmask Major Cybercrime Syndicate

The Delhi Cyber Police Station has successfully apprehended an individual believed to be involved in multiple fraud cases. Om Prakash Sanwaria stands accused of deceiving a Defence personnel under various pretexts, officials reported. The arrest is part of ten cases the Delhi Police have been investigating.

The Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell has dismantled a criminal module exploiting mule and fake bank accounts as part of an IVR scam. This international operation saw funds funneled abroad. A recovery of Rs 2.2 crores, mobile devices, and digital documents has been made from the suspects, and restitution to the victim is underway.

In a peculiar case, a 92-year-old retired surgeon was lured into a complex scam where callers masquerading as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Maharashtra Police officials allegedly filed fictitious legal actions against him. The threat of 'Digital Arrest' was leveraged through video calls showing fake court orders, coercing the victim to liquidate over fixed deposits into scammers' accounts to avoid fabricated legal consequences.

An investigation began with the filing of a case under several Indian Penal Code sections. Detailed surveillance identified a 42-year-old Amit Sharma and 27-year-old Hari Swargiary as key operatives. The fraudsters portrayed themselves as officials from credible agencies to manipulate victims, initially threatening severe legal reprisal, then shifting to a tactic promising resolution through confirmations of mistaken identity.

Victims were misled to transfer funds for verification and assurances of refunds post-process. The case remains under active investigation, with further arrests anticipated as authorities continue to close in on other syndicate associates. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)