Police arrest four in Rs 3.37 crore cyber fraud case involving remote phone hacking

Nainital: Uttarakhand Police have busted an interstate cyber fraud racket that allegedly siphoned off Rs 3.37 crore by remotely hacking victims’ mobile phones and diverting money into “mule accounts.”

Four suspects, Shubham Gupta of Rajasthan, Piyush Goyal of Bulandshahr, Rishabh Kumar of Ghaziabad and Mohit Rathi of Gurugram, were arrested during a vehicle check at Bhediyapakhad Mod in Do Gaon on Saturday, officials said. The operation was led by SP Jagdish Chandra and DSP Amit Kumar.

Police said the gang circulated malicious APK links on social media to gain full access to victims’ phones. Once inside the device, they allegedly transferred funds to multiple fake or illegally obtained bank accounts to hide their identities. A QR code seized from the accused was also found linked to a case registered in Delhi.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 11 mobile phones, nine SIM cards, several Aadhaar and PAN cards, cheque books, QR codes, and multiple debit and credit cards. Officers also seized high-end smartphones and the car used in the operation.

Police said further investigation is underway to trace the broader network and identify additional mule accounts used in the fraud.

(with inputs from agencies)