Stolen Phone of 88-Year-Old Leads Delhi Police to Interstate Cyber Fraud Network; 9 Arrested
New Delhi: The theft of an 88-year-old man's mobile phone has led the Delhi Police to an interstate cyber fraud network operating through a three-stage system across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Nine people have been arrested so far, police said on Monday.
The senior citizen, a resident of West Patel Nagar, reported his phone stolen on May 19. Two days later, after getting his SIM card reissued, he received alerts that Rs 70,000 had been withdrawn from his bank account through three unauthorised transactions — two of Rs 25,000 each and one of Rs 20,000.
He immediately reported the matter on the National Cyber Crime Helpline, following which an FIR was registered on July 23. The investigation led police to a sophisticated network with operations in Jaipur, Meerut and Ghaziabad.
According to police, the syndicate worked in multiple stages. Street-level operatives allegedly stole mobile phones, while another group in Meerut and Ghaziabad supplied mule bank accounts, debit cards, POS machines and SIM cards. The third module, operating from Jaipur, used the stolen phones and banking credentials to access victims' accounts, route money through mule accounts and withdraw or transfer the funds.
Financial transaction mapping and digital surveillance helped police establish that the mule-account supply chain was based in Meerut and Ghaziabad, while the banking transactions were carried out from Jaipur.
A police team raided a residential premises at Jaipur's Jhotwara and arrested Nikhil Soni (26), described as the main operator and technical mastermind, along with four associates — Abishek Kumar Jha, Anand Sah Sonar, Prince Sah Sonar and Bishek Kumar Jha. The raid exposed a call-centre-like setup equipped with laptops, tablets, routers, passbooks and diaries containing victim data and transaction details. An amount of Rs 4 lakh in cash was also recovered.
Simultaneously, another police team conducted raids in Meerut and Ghaziabad and arrested four alleged mule-account suppliers — Amar Jatav, Harsh, Mohan and Vashu.
From their possession, police seized 52 mobile phones, 70 debit cards, 145 SIM cards, 13 bank passbooks, six POS machines, four laptops, two tablet computers, four high-speed internet routers and Rs 4 lakh in cash. The mobile phones allegedly contained victim data, banking applications and chats, while the diaries contained transaction ledgers and contact details.
A forensic examination of the digital devices is underway. Police have so far linked the network to 19 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal from different states. Further financial analysis is being conducted to ascertain the total amount allegedly siphoned off by the syndicate.
This case highlights the growing sophistication of cyber fraud syndicates that use stolen phones and mule accounts to avoid detection. Police have urged citizens to report lost or stolen phones immediately and to stay alert to any unauthorised banking transactions.
