Three men from Kashipur, Uttarakhand, have been arrested by the Surat City Cyber Crime Cell for allegedly facilitating a cyber fraud in which a Surat resident was duped of ₹1,63,98,012.70 through a fake gold mining investment scheme. Investigators allege the trio provided bank accounts used to channel the stolen funds, with the fraud running from 10 December 2024 to 25 April 2025.

How the Scam Operated

The victim was reportedly contacted via a Facebook profile named 'Anjali Modi' and a WhatsApp handle, and was drawn into a purported investment scheme called GRGC (Gold Rush Global Capital). The fraudsters used a fake trading application and the email address 'info@grglobalco.com' to lend the operation an air of legitimacy.

According to investigators, the victim was promised high daily and monthly returns on so-called 'Gold Mining Trading' investments. 'The accused gained the complainant's confidence before collecting money under various pretexts, including initial investment, tax, margin money, credit score charges, audit fees, international transfer fees, high-risk deposits and withdrawal charges,' officials said.

The complainant was shown fictitious profits on the fake trading application and repeatedly assured the invested amount was secure and would be refunded — but, according to police, 'no money was returned.'

FIR and Legal Sections Invoked

After the victim filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Helpline, the Cyber Crime Cell conducted a preliminary inquiry and registered an FIR under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2008.

Who Was Arrested and Their Alleged Roles

A team led by Police Inspector N.R. Patel and Police Sub-Inspector V.B. Prajapati used technical analysis to trace and apprehend the three suspects in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district.

The first accused, Mohammad Izhar, 48, a businessman from Kashipur, allegedly handed over his HDFC Bank account and banking kit to co-accused in exchange for a commission of ₹8,500. The second accused, Mohammad Sumair, 24, also a businessman from Kashipur, allegedly arranged multiple bank accounts — including his own and those of other individuals — for use in the fraud, reportedly retaining ₹6,500 per account as commission. The third accused, Mohammad Uvesh, 24, an electrician, allegedly collected his own account and those of six other individuals after being promised ₹20,000 per account, keeping ₹5,000 per account for himself.

Notably, one HDFC Bank account allegedly used in the fraud had been linked to three separate complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP), involving transactions totalling ₹11,37,217. Of that amount, ₹9,95,000 was allegedly withdrawn through ATMs in the Kashipur area.

Public Advisory from Cyber Crime Cell

The Surat City Cyber Crime Cell urged citizens not to share bank account details, ATM cards, UPI PINs, net banking passwords, or one-time passwords with anyone. It also warned against allowing others to use personal bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, passbooks, SIM cards, or internet banking facilities in exchange for commissions, rent, or any other inducement.

With mule-account networks increasingly enabling large-scale cyber fraud across state lines, this case underscores the growing challenge of tracing and dismantling such operations — and the need for tighter bank-account verification at the point of onboarding.