Cyber fraud, online betting racket with global links busted; 15 held
2
Lucknow: A
cyber fraud
and online betting racket with international links was busted by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of 15 people, most of whom are under the age of 30.
The accused allegedly ran a network of digital scams using fake betting platforms and multi-layered money laundering routes to cheat unsuspecting citizens across multiple states.
Acting on a tip-off, the police raided a rented accommodation in Friends Colony near Lulu Mall and found several individuals operating laptops, mobile phones, and using multiple debit cards simultaneously. When confronted, they attempted to shut down their devices but were apprehended.
A total of 15 accused were taken into custody and booked under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act. The arrested individuals include first-time offenders recruited through social media, lured by the promise of quick money.
Some were as young as 18, and several belonged to the same village, indicating localised recruitment. ADCP, Cyber Crime, Vasant Kumar, said that the gang operated under the fake platforms 'Anna Reddy', 'Fair Play', and '99 Exchange', using them as fronts for online gambling and investment fraud.
The victims were approached via phone or social media and promised lucrative returns on betting. Once funds were deposited into mule accounts, the money was quickly moved through a series of fake accounts to evade detection.
During the raid, police seized Rs 53,200 in cash, 44 mobile phones, 3 laptops, 1 tablet, 42 ATM/debit cards, 7 cheque books, 13 passbooks, 14 SIM cards, 1 POS machine, and 6 account books suspected to be linked to fraudulent transactions. So far, 44 cyber fraud complaints linked to this gang have surfaced from various states, with total estimated transactions running into crores of rupees.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
No bail for jailed nuns as Chhattisgarh court cites jurisdiction issues
A Sessions Court in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) disposed of the bail applications of the two nuns and a Narayanpur resident — who were arrested last week on charges of human trafficking and forcible religious conversion — observing that it did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter. The court said it could not go into the merits of the case. In his order, Additional Sessions Judge Anish Dubey cited Section 11 of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 to point out the jurisdiction issue and ordered the applicants — nuns Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, and Sukman Mandavi — to move a special court for relief. The court noted that Section 2(1)(g) of the NIA Act, 2008 contains a separate Schedule that includes Section 370 of the now abolished Indian Penal Code, 1860. It further added that Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 [that the applicants are accused of violating] pertains to 'trafficking of a person' which is similar to Section 370 IPC. Citing Chhattisgarh government orders to list courts that have been given the jurisdiction to hear such cases in different divisions, it said that the applicants move the designated court. Also Read | Catholic rites hold united protest against arrest of nuns in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh Earlier, the applicants submitted that they were accused on the basis of mere suspicion. The application also said due to poverty and lack of employment, the three girls were going to Agra voluntarily to work and learn work. The girls were already followers of Christianity and, hence, there was no question of their conversion, the application added. The bail was opposed by the Public Prosecutor, who submitted that since Section 143 of the Indian Penal Code was imposed on the accused, 'this court has no jurisdiction to hear the bail application'. The nuns and Ms. Mandavi were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary, who accused them of forcibly converting three women from the State's tribal-dominated Narayanpur district and trafficking them. The issue has triggered protests from political parties across the spectrum in the nuns' native State of Kerala. Brinda Karat meets nuns Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) met the two nuns at the Durg Central Jail in Chhattisgarh following which she called the arrests 'unconstitutional and illegal', and demanded their immediate release. Ms. Karat also held a press conference in Raipur where she said that the allegations against the nuns were false.
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Job fraudsters trick Bengaluru journalist into paying Rs 55 lakh ‘as processing fees and GST', police book 5
A 49-year-old journalist and author living in Bengaluru lost Rs 55 lakh in 73 days after fraudsters who offered him high-paying jobs tricked him into transferring money in the name of registration fees, processing charges, and Goods and Services Tax, the police said on Wednesday. According to the cyber police, who have registered a case and are investigating, the resident of Kasavanahalli in Bengaluru filed a complaint on Tuesday stating that he had registered on and received a call asking him to register on the Indeed job portal. The fraudsters used spoofed numbers and email addresses, including indeed1008@ybl, and hr@ to build credibility, according to the FIR. They also provided fake credentials, including job IDs and designations of people at companies like Amazon. Over two and a half months, the complainant said, he transferred the money to multiple bank accounts, in what he believed were official transactions linked to job confirmations. When the promised job offers never materialised and communication ceased, he realised he had been duped. The FIR names five suspects—Pankaj Singh, Karthick, Abhinav Arora, Ram Gopal Meena, and Bidappa—all thought to be operating from Delhi and Haryana. It has been filed under sections 66(c) (identity theft) and 66(d) (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act and sections 318(4)(cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
News18
31 minutes ago
- News18
Hydroponic weed worth Rs 8 crore seized at Mumbai airport; 4 passengers held
Mumbai, Jul 30 (PTI) The customs department has seized suspected hydroponic weed worth Rs 8 crore after arresting four passengers arriving from Thailand in separate cases at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday. According to the official, in the first case, three passengers were intercepted after they arrived from Bangkok on Tuesday. During the examination of their baggage, Customs personnel recovered 1.99 kg of suspected hydroponic weed (marijuana) with an illicit market value of around Rs 2 crore. The narcotic substance was concealed inside vacuum sealed black and transparent plastic packets kept inside the trolley bag carried by the passengers, he informed. In the second case the same day, a passenger arriving from the Thailand capital was intercepted and during the examination of his baggage, Customs personnel recovered 6.022 kg of suspected hydroponic weed with an illicit market value of about Rs 6 crore. The drug was cleverly concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passenger, said the official. All four passengers were arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Hydroponic weed, a potent form of marijuana, is cultivated using water-based, nutrient-rich solutions instead of traditional soil methods. PTI ZA RSY view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 23:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
