Delhi Police busts Telegram job scam, arrests 2 from Rajasthan over mule accounts
Synopsis
A Telegram-based job scam that began with fake Foodpanda review tasks and ended with a ₹2,84,100 loss has led Delhi Police to Jodhpur, where two men aged 20 and 21 allegedly supplied mule bank accounts to a larger cyber fraud syndicate — accounts already flagged in five other fraud complaints across India.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police arrested Dinesh (21) and Vikas Siyag (20), both from Jodhpur, Rajasthan , on 31 July 2026 .
The duo allegedly supplied mule bank accounts to cyber fraud syndicates involved in a Telegram-based job and investment scam .
The victim was defrauded of ₹2,84,100 via UPI and IMPS transfers after being lured with fake Foodpanda review tasks.
The bank account used was linked to five separate cyber crime complaints in different jurisdictions.
Four mobile phones and one SIM card were recovered; devices sent for forensic examination.
Further investigation is underway to identify and arrest other members of the fraud network.
Delhi Police's Cyber Police Station, Central District, has arrested two men from Rajasthan for their alleged role in a Telegram-based part-time job and investment scam that defrauded a victim of ₹2,84,100. The accused, identified as Dinesh (21) and Vikas Siyag (20), both residents of Jodhpur, are accused of procuring and supplying mule bank accounts used by cyber fraud syndicates to launder money.
How the Scam Unfolded
The case came to light after the victim filed a complaint on 9 July 2026, describing a scheme that began on 9 June when a Telegram user calling herself 'Payal Singh Jaat' approached him with online review tasks for Foodpanda. The tasks were designed to appear legitimate and build trust. On 2 July, a second Telegram user — 'Gaurika Ojas' (handle: @mhhgdzs) — contacted the victim and persuaded him to invest in an online scheme promising unusually high returns.
Convinced by the fraudsters' claims, the victim transferred a total of ₹2,84,100 via UPI and IMPS transactions from his State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) accounts into multiple bank accounts provided by the accused.
The Money Trail
An E-FIR No. 190/2026 was registered on 9 July under Sections 318(4) and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Cyber Police Station, Central District. Investigators traced the defrauded funds across accounts in the Central Bank of India, Kerala Gramin Bank, and State Bank of India.
Analysis revealed that ₹1,00,000 from the cheated amount was credited into a Central Bank of India account held in Dinesh's name at the Marudhar Industrial Area Branch, Jodhpur. Of this, ₹80,000 was withdrawn from a Central Bank of India ATM in Jodhpur, ₹38,000 from an HDFC Bank ATM in Ajmer, and ₹19,500 was spent at a petrol pump.
The Arrests
A dedicated team led by Inspector Yograj Dalal, SHO of the Cyber Police Station, Central District, was constituted under the supervision of ACP Paharganj Saurabh A. Narendra. The team included ASI Pankaj, Head Constables Ravi Kant and Ashok, and Constable Nitin.
Acting on specific intelligence, the team raided Jodhpur on 31 July and apprehended Dinesh. Based on his disclosure, police subsequently arrested his alleged associate Vikas Siyag. Four mobile phones and one SIM card were recovered from the duo; the devices have been sent for forensic examination.
Wider Syndicate Links
Investigators found that the bank account used in this case was linked to five separate cyber crime complaints filed across different jurisdictions, indicating it was repeatedly used in cyber-enabled financial fraud. Verification of the criminal antecedents of both accused is ongoing, and police are working to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate.
The arrests highlight a growing pattern in which domestic operatives supply mule accounts to larger cyber fraud networks — often operating across state lines — making financial tracing a critical investigative tool.
Point of View
Often recruited through informal networks. The fact that a single account in this case was linked to five separate fraud complaints across jurisdictions suggests these mule networks are prolific and under-prosecuted. Delhi Police's financial-trail approach — tracing ATM withdrawals down to the petrol pump — is textbook, but the real test is whether the investigation climbs the chain to the operators who ran the Telegram personas, not just the foot soldiers who held the accounts.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Telegram-based job scam that Delhi Police busted?
It is a cyber fraud scheme in which victims were first approached on Telegram with fake part-time review tasks for Foodpanda to build trust, then persuaded to invest money in a fraudulent online investment scheme promising high returns. The scam defrauded at least one victim of ₹2,84,100, with the money laundered through mule bank accounts.
Who were arrested and where are they from?
Delhi Police arrested Dinesh, aged 21, and Vikas Siyag, aged 20, both residents of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. They were arrested on 31 July 2026 following a raid conducted by a team from the Cyber Police Station, Central District.
What is a mule bank account and how was it used in this scam?
A mule bank account is a bank account used by fraudsters to receive and transfer money obtained through illegal means, effectively laundering it. In this case, the accused allegedly procured and supplied such accounts to cyber fraud syndicates, which used them to receive the victim's UPI and IMPS transfers.
How many fraud cases are linked to the bank account used in this scam?
Investigators found that the bank account used in this case was connected to five separate cyber crime complaints registered in different jurisdictions across India, indicating it was repeatedly used for cyber-enabled financial fraud.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Four mobile phones and one SIM card recovered from the accused have been sent for forensic examination. Police are verifying the criminal antecedents of both arrested individuals and are continuing the investigation to identify and apprehend other members of the cyber fraud network.
