Inter-state cyberfraud racket involving Rs 39cr busted

Ahmedabad: The Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) of CID (Crime), Gandhinagar, on Tuesday busted an inter-state cybercrime racket involving frauds worth over Rs 39.41 crore. Two key accused— a salon operator and a stationary trader — were arrested from Ahmedabad for their alleged involvement in 59 cyber offences. Acting on specific inputs and sustained technical surveillance, the team tracked down the duo, who allegedly worked on commission by routing fraud proceeds through mule bank accounts.The arrested accused were identified as Amit Gangera (38) and Ritesh Patel (42) from Vinzol.Police said the arrested duo targeted financially distressed businessmen and persuaded them to rent out their bank accounts for a commission. These accounts were then used to receive and transfer proceeds from various cyber frauds, including digital arrest scams, investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, trading fraud and part-time job scams.Three mobile phones and Rs 5 lakh in cash were seized from the accused. Further investigation is underway to trace others involved in the racket and identify the beneficiaries of the siphoned funds.Investigators said the accused were involved in at least 59 cybercrimes registered across multiple states, collectively involving Rs 39.41 crore. Scrutiny of their mobile phones revealed details of 11 additional bank accounts. When cross-checked on the national cybercrime portal, these accounts were found to be linked to complaints from Maharashtra (13), Karnataka (10), Haryana (5); four each in Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh; three each in Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana; two each in Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh and Odisha; and one each in Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.Pointers: Police advisoryDo not rent or share your bank account, ATM card, cheque book or sim card with anyoneInform the nearest police station or cybercrime cell if anyone approaches seeking bank accounts or sim cards on rentDo not invest in social media advertisements promising unusually high returns in a short periodVerify the authenticity of any investment company before transferring moneyIn case of cyberfraud, contact the national cyber helpline 1930 within the "golden hour" (first hour)