Delhi Cyber Police Bust Fake Online Trading Syndicate; Three Arrested

The Cyber Police in Delhi have busted a gang that cheated people through a fake online trading platform. The fraud came to light after a 32-year-old man from Gokalpuri, Rohit, filed a complaint saying he had been tricked into investing in a bogus “Direct Market Account” that promised high stock market returns.

According to the police, the accused had created a WhatsApp group where they posed as stock market experts and representatives of a reputed financial company. They convinced the victim to invest money and later blocked his access to the account. When he tried to withdraw his investment, they demanded more money, threatening to forfeit the entire amount.

A team led by Inspector Rahul Kumar, SHO of the Cyber Police Station (North-East District), began tracing the digital trail of the fraud. After collecting key evidence, the police conducted several raids and arrested two suspects from Sector-49.

The arrested men were identified as:

• Prabhat Vajpayee alias Amanda (22), resident of Loni, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

• Md. Abas Khan (24), resident of Imphal East, Manipur.

During the raids, police recovered 11 mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 32 debit cards, and several fake documents. Based on the information provided by the two accused, their associate Arpit Mishra alias Professor (25) was later arrested from Siliguri, West Bengal. He hails from Jaipur, Rajasthan. Three more mobile phones and SIM cards were seized from him.

During questioning, the trio reportedly confessed that they had learned about online fraud techniques by watching the web series Money Heist. Inspired by it, they started duping people through fake trading accounts.

In total, police recovered 14 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards, 32 debit cards, and multiple fake IDs and documents used in online transactions.

Officials said the case highlights how cybercriminals are becoming more creative, using social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp to gain people’s trust. The police are now tracking other members of the syndicate and identifying the bank accounts used in the scam.

Authorities have urged the public to stay alert and avoid falling for online investment schemes that promise unusually high returns. Citizens have been advised to verify any trading platform or financial advisor through official regulatory websites before making any payments.