Rs 799 kurti that never came, but led cops to Rs 30-crore cyber frauds

A routine police investigation into an online shopping complaint worth Rs 799 led Delhi Police to uncover an alleged cyber fraud syndicate operating across multiple states. A college student in Delhi allegedly lost Rs 6,450 after attempting to purchase a kurti through a social media advertisement and a WhatsApp chat, following repeated demands for payments under the pretext of delivery charges and refundable codes. When the parcel never arrived, the student approached the authorities.

Investigators analysed nearly 200 mobile numbers and IMEIs, tracking the money trail through merchant accounts to firms based in Greater Noida and Kanpur. Police stated that the syndicate channelled credit transactions exceeding Rs 30 crore through a complex network of current bank accounts. These accounts were allegedly opened using shell firms, supplied with banking kits and linked SIM cards, and handed over to intermediaries who passed them on to higher-level operators communicating via foreign-coded messaging numbers.

Coordinated raids conducted by the police in Greater Noida and Kanpur led to the arrest of seven individuals involved in setting up firms and managing the bank account supply chain. Authorities recovered dozens of mobile phones, SIM cards, point-of-sale machines, debit cards, checkbooks, scanners, and laptops during the searches. The network has been linked to 27 separate cyber fraud complaints originating from various states across the country.

Not yet reported: The articles do not mention the final judicial outcomes or the identities of the foreign-based masterminds referred to as Maxwell and Solitaire.