Delhi Police have dismantled a major cyber fraud syndicate linked to transactions worth over ₹30 crore, arresting seven accused in connection with an online shopping scam that first surfaced after a Delhi University student filed a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The arrests follow coordinated raids in Greater Noida and Kanpur, with the probe now connecting 27 cyber fraud complaints from across multiple states to the same network.

How the Scam Unfolded

Fatima, a student of Ramjas College, Delhi University, and a resident of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, came across an advertisement for a kurti on an Instagram account named 'Kavya_kurti_hub'. She was redirected to a WhatsApp number, where she placed an order worth ₹799 and paid ₹400 in advance via a QR code.

She subsequently received a call regarding parcel delivery, during which the caller asked her to provide a passcode. The seller then persuaded her to make further payments — allegedly to generate the code and process a refundable charge. She transferred ₹1,150, ₹2,000, ₹2,650, and ₹650 in separate transactions. In total, she was defrauded of ₹6,450. Neither the parcel arrived nor was any money refunded. The complaint was registered at the Cyber Police Station, North District, on 4 September.

Trail of Digital Evidence

Investigators analysed nearly 200 mobile numbers, IMEI numbers, banking transactions, and digital records obtained from platforms including Flipkart, Zomato, and Blue Dart. The cheated funds were traced through Pine Labs Merchant to a Canara Bank account linked to Kizentech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in Greater Noida.

Approximately 25 bank accounts, allegedly opened in the names of fictitious firms and individuals, were identified as conduits for routing cybercrime proceeds. During interrogation, investigators found that the accused allegedly set up shell firms, opened current accounts, and supplied them to other syndicate members in exchange for monthly payments and commissions.

Seven Arrests, Key Accused Identified

Following extensive technical surveillance, police conducted coordinated raids in Greater Noida on 16 October and arrested six accused: Aditya Mishra, Ayush Verma, Abhishek Pal, Himanshu Rana, Rahul Kumar, and Gaurav Pandey. A seventh accused, Udit Pratap Singh Bhadauriya, was arrested from Kanpur on 21 October.

According to police, Gaurav Pandey, an MBA graduate, allegedly played a pivotal role in arranging and supplying bank accounts to cyber fraudsters. The operation was led by SI Arvind Yadav under the supervision of senior North District police officers.

Recoveries and Scale of the Network

Police recovered 20 mobile phones, 45 SIM cards, 39 point-of-sale (POS) machines, 33 debit cards, 28 cheque books, 15 scanners, two laptops, five stamps, seven Aadhaar cards, five PAN cards, and 21 bank-related documents. The volume of POS machines and SIM cards points to a well-organised, multi-layer operation rather than an opportunistic fraud ring.

This case is part of a broader pattern of Instagram-based shopping frauds that exploit low-priced impulse purchases — typically clothing or accessories — to build false trust before extracting larger sums. The use of QR codes and fabricated 'passcode' pretexts to trigger repeat payments has been flagged by cybercrime units across several states this year.

Investigation Ongoing

Police said further investigation is underway to identify additional members of the network and establish links with other cyber fraud cases across states. The widening probe suggests the ₹30 crore figure could climb as more transactions are mapped to the syndicate.