How 88-year-old man’s stolen phone led Delhi Police to interstate financial fraud

How the syndicate came under scanner
The syndicate came under scanner after an elderly man, a resident of Delhi’s West Patel Nagar, reported the theft of his mobile phone on May 19, said officers. Two days later, after he obtained a replacement SIM, he received a series of SMS alerts from a public sector bank.

The alerts mentioned that an amount of Rs 70,000 has been withdrawn from his bank account through two unauthorised transactions of Rs 25,000 each and one of Rs 20,000.

The victim immediately reported the transactions on the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Cyber Police Station, Central District, on July 23 for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Anatomy of a racket
According to police, the investigation initially focused on tracing the stolen handset and the financial trail of the unauthorised transactions. Analysis of the transactions eventually led investigators to a network spread across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Police said the syndicate functioned in stages.

“At one end were people allegedly involved in stealing mobile phones. The stolen devices could then be used to facilitate access to banking and payment services. A separate group operating in Meerut and Ghaziabad allegedly supplied mule bank accounts, debit cards, SIM cards and POS machines,” said Rohit Rajbir Singh, DCP, Central. Another layer, police said, was operating from Jaipur.

Investigators found that the actual banking intrusions and movement of funds were being carried out from a call-centre-style operation in Jhotwara, Jaipur. The operators allegedly accessed victims’ banking accounts, transferred money into mule accounts and subsequently withdrew or moved the funds through POS machines and online payment channels, an officer said.

The investigation was carried out under the supervision of Inspector Yograj Dalal, SHO, Cyber Police Station, Central District, and the overall supervision of ACP Paharganj Saurabh Narendra.

Call centre-style setup uncovered
As investigators traced the digital and financial trail to Jaipur, a police team led by Sub-Inspector Naveen and Constable Mukesh was sent there. Police said the team suspected that the operators could destroy server histories, transaction records and other digital evidence.

A raid at a residential premises in Jhotwara allegedly uncovered a functioning call-centre-style setup, an officer said. The police seized laptops, tablets, internet routers, mobile phones, debit cards, passbooks and diaries containing transaction details and alleged victim information.

Nikhil Soni, 26, identified by police as the alleged main operator and technical mastermind of the Jaipur module, was arrested along with four associates.

The four others arrested from the Jaipur module were Abishek Kumar Jha, 23; Anand Sah Sonar, 26; Prince Sah Sonar, 20; and Bishek Kumar Jha, 21. All five are residents of Jaipur, police said.

At the same time, another police team comprising Head Constables Sanjeev and Deepak and Constable Deepak conducted raids in Meerut and Ghaziabad.

Police said the team targeted the alleged supply chain that provided mule accounts and other banking infrastructure to the Jaipur operators.

Four people identified as Amar Jatav (23), Harsh (23), Mohan (24) and Vashu (19) were arrested, police said. While Amar and Vashu were residents of Meerut, Mohan and Harsh hailed from Ghaziabad.

According to investigators, the accused allegedly supplied mule accounts, debit cards and other financial instruments used to receive and move money siphoned from victims.

Police said they seized four laptops, two mobile tablets, 52 mobile phones, 145 SIM cards, 70 debit cards, 13 bank passbooks and six POS machines from their possession. Four high-speed internet routers and Rs 4 lakh in cash were also recovered, an officer said.

Investigators also seized personal diaries allegedly containing transaction ledgers and contact details of victims.
The seized digital devices are now being subjected to forensic examination. Police said the investigation has so far linked the network to 19 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) across different states.

Further financial analysis is underway to determine the total amount allegedly siphoned and laundered through the network, said officers.

Police issues advisory
Issuing an advisory, the Delhi Police said that a handset can provide access to SMS-based authentication, banking applications, UPI services and other financial accounts, increasing the risk of financial.

The Delhi Police has advised citizens who lose their phones to immediately block their SIM cards through their telecom operator and report the handset on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal so that its IMEI can be blocked.