Delhi Police Cracks Down On Cyber Fraudsters, Busts Multiple Interstate Syndicates

The Delhi Police has busted multiple interstate cyber fraud syndicates , including a network allegedly linked to Cambodia-based operators , as part of a wider month-long crackdown on cybercrime that led to the arrest of 89 accused across several states , officials said on Wednesday.

In one of the major cases, police arrested eight people for their alleged role in an online investment scam linked to foreign handlers in Cambodia , which cheated a complainant of around ₹24 lakh . The accused include individuals from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, several of whom hold qualifications such as BTech, MBA and diplomas in cybersecurity .

Investigators said the syndicate lured victims through social media investment groups , where fraudsters posed as stock market experts and promoted a fake trading platform . Victims were shown doctored profit screenshots to build trust before being pressured to invest large sums. When withdrawal requests were made, the accused allegedly demanded additional payments on various pretexts.

The probe revealed that funds were routed through a complex web of mule bank accounts and shell companies , making detection difficult. Around ₹4.5 crore worth of suspicious transactions were flagged within a short span, while over 60 NCRP complaints linked to similar accounts are under investigation.

Police said digital evidence and money trail analysis showed that parts of the network were being operated using foreign cybercrime infrastructure based in Cambodia , with Indian operatives acting as facilitators for fund movement. Encrypted communication channels, including WhatsApp, were also used to coordinate with overseas handlers.

In another large-scale enforcement action, Delhi Police conducted a month-long cybercrime crackdown in April , during which 35 accused were arrested and 54 others were warned , while investigations in 34 major cases were completed across multiple states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Punjab.

Officials said cyber fraud networks involved in digital arrest scams, investment frauds, APK file scams, fake dating schemes and cryptocurrency laundering via mule accounts were uncovered during the drive. The operations exposed fraud networks handling transactions worth nearly ₹40 crore .

During the crackdown, police recovered ₹14.18 lakh in cash, 359 SIM cards, 218 ATM cards, 88 mobile phones, 78 cheque books, and multiple electronic devices used in cybercrime operations. Of the total cheated amount of ₹3.36 crore reported in April , authorities managed to secure ₹1.11 crore through bank coordination and lien marking , while an additional ₹51.95 lakh was refunded to victims through court orders .

In one case, a mule account and OTP-sharing syndicate operating from Karampura in west Delhi was busted, where the accused used a social media group named “DL Office” to facilitate illegal transactions. In another case, a fake dating and cryptocurrency fraud network was found converting stolen funds into USDT through crypto channels , with possible links extending to Africa-based IP addresses.

Police said investigations are ongoing to trace international linkages and identify the broader network behind these cyber fraud syndicates.