New Delhi [India], January 24 (ANI): Three cyber fraudsters have been arrested by the Cyber Police Station/NED team, with four mobile phones recovered and ₹4.5 lakh frozen and credited back to the complainant, police said.

According to police, on October 16, 2025, a case vide FIR No. 13/25 under sections 318(4)/319 BNS was registered based on a complaint received at Cyber PS/NED. The complainant, Gaurav Sharma (55 years), reported that he was cheated of ₹12,50,445 by unknown persons on the pretext of investment.

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A dedicated team led by Inspector Rahul Kumar, SHO/PS Cyber, comprising SI Nandan Singh, Head Constables Amit and Rohan, and Constables Deepak and Saurabh, collected evidence from multiple sources. Based on clues gathered during the investigation, one accused, Bhupesh (39), a resident of Rewari, Haryana, was arrested.

During sustained interrogation, Bhupesh confessed to his involvement in the crime. On the basis of his disclosure, two of his associates, Ashish Chauhan (27) and Ajay Sharma (30) were also arrested. Police said that four mobile phones used in the commission of the crime were recovered from the accused's possession.

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Officials further said that an amount of ₹4.5 lakh was successfully frozen and credited back to the complainant's bank account. Further investigation into the case is underway.

Meanwhile, a dedicated team of the Inter-State Cell (ISC) of the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, has busted an organised network involved in fake online trading scams and arrested four key accused from Kolkata and Lucknow, police said.

According to officials, the gang lured people with promises of high returns through fake trading apps and Telegram groups, cheating victims of several crores of rupees. Initial contact was made via WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook through advertisements offering "online trading investments" or "guaranteed high returns."

Police said interested victims were added to Telegram groups such as "Ventura Securities," "Go Market Global," and "IPO Stock Trading," where they were impersonated by legitimate brokers. Victims were then made to download fraudulent apps showing manipulated dashboards with fictitious profits. To gain trust, a small amount of "profit" was initially credited, after which larger investments were induced.

Later, demands were made for taxes, fees, or "activation charges" under the guise of withdrawals, and once large sums were transferred, victims suffered complete losses. Police added that these fake platforms had no approval from any regulatory authority.

The investigation revealed that the accused procured mule bank accounts through handlers in India. Complete bank details were shared with the scammers, and mobile numbers linked to the accounts had Mighty App or APK files installed, which automatically shared transaction OTPs, police said. (ANI)

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