Surat cyber fraud: Varanasi gym trainer arrested for ₹5.88 lakh e-commerce scam
Synopsis
A Varanasi gym trainer who allegedly helped launder ₹5.88 lakh cheated from a Gujarat victim via a fake e-commerce website has been arrested by Surat's Cyber Crime Branch. The case has a Dubai connection — an absconding accused reportedly directed the crypto conversion of proceeds into USDT, highlighting how domestic mules are plugged into transnational fraud networks.
Key Takeaways
Abdullah alias Sonu Mazid , a 32-year-old gym trainer from Varanasi , was arrested by Surat City Police's Cyber Crime Branch on 28 October 2026 .
The victim was defrauded of ₹5,88,909 after being lured via a dating app and a fake e-commerce investment website.
Mazid allegedly retained ₹12,590 as commission and converted ₹1.65 lakh into USDT cryptocurrency as instructed by an absconding accused in Dubai .
A previously arrested co-accused, Imran Yusuf Khilchi ( 46 ), a businessman from Mumbai , received ₹1,77,590 of the fraud proceeds in an HDFC Bank account.
The case is registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the IT Act ; the Dubai-based accused remains at large.
Police have warned the public against lending bank accounts for commissions, as account holders can face criminal liability.
The Cyber Crime Branch of Surat City Police, Gujarat, has arrested a 32-year-old gym trainer from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly facilitating an online fraud in which a victim was cheated of ₹5,88,909 on the false promise of high returns from an e-commerce investment. The accused, Abdullah alias Sonu Mazid, was tracked down and arrested following a technical investigation, police confirmed on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to police, the complainant was first contacted through a dating app and sent a link to a fake website. The accused allegedly persuaded the victim to create an account on the platform, claiming that participation in e-commerce activities would yield strong returns. The complainant was subsequently induced to transfer a total of ₹5,88,909 across multiple bank accounts — money that was never returned.
Role of the Arrested Accused
Mazid allegedly acted as a financial facilitator, providing bank accounts obtained on a commission basis to route the cheated funds. He reportedly withdrew money through ATMs and cheques, retained ₹12,590 as his commission, and used the remaining ₹1.65 lakh to purchase USDT — a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency — before transferring it as directed by an absconding accused based in Dubai. The Dubai-based suspect reportedly instructed Mazid to deposit funds through cash deposit machines into the arranged accounts.
Earlier Arrest and Case Details
A related accused, Imran Yusuf Khilchi, 46, a businessman from Mumbai, Maharashtra, had been arrested earlier in connection with the same case. Police confirmed that ₹1,77,590 of the defrauded amount had been transferred to an HDFC Bank account linked to Khilchi. The case has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act (amended 2008).
Police Warning to the Public
The Surat City Police have issued a public advisory urging residents not to allow others to use their bank accounts in exchange for commissions or any other inducement, warning that such accounts are frequently used to route proceeds of cyber fraud. Account holders, police cautioned, could face criminal liability if their accounts are found to have been used in fraudulent transactions. The arrest was carried out by a team led by Police Inspector A M Mori, under the directions of senior officials. The investigation into the Dubai-based absconding accused is ongoing.
Point of View
Domestic mules handle the cash layer, and cryptocurrency bridges the gap between dirty rupees and clean digital assets. What stands out is the occupational profile of the arrested accused: a gym trainer, not a tech operative, recruited purely for access to bank accounts. These low-level facilitators are often unaware of the full network, yet face the most legal exposure. The real question is whether Indian investigators can work backwards from the USDT trail to the Dubai handler — a cross-border crypto trace that Indian law enforcement has struggled to execute consistently.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Surat e-commerce cyber fraud case?
Abdullah alias Sonu Mazid , a 32-year-old gym trainer from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by the Cyber Crime Branch of Surat City Police. He allegedly facilitated the movement of fraud proceeds through arranged bank accounts and converted part of the money into USDT cryptocurrency.
How was the victim defrauded of ₹5.88 lakh?
The victim was first contacted through a dating app and directed to a fake website that claimed to offer returns on e-commerce investments. The complainant was persuaded to create an account and transfer a total of ₹5,88,909 across multiple bank accounts, after which the money was not returned.
What is USDT and why was it used in this fraud?
USDT is a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency (a stablecoin) that can be transferred digitally across borders with relative ease. In this case, the accused allegedly converted ₹1.65 lakh into USDT on instructions from an absconding accused in Dubai, making the funds harder to trace and recover.
Who else has been arrested in this case?
Imran Yusuf Khilchi , a 46-year-old businessman from Mumbai, was arrested earlier in connection with the same case. Police said ₹1,77,590 of the defrauded amount was transferred to an HDFC Bank account linked to him.
What legal warning has Surat Police issued to the public?
Surat City Police have urged residents not to allow others to use their bank accounts in exchange for commissions or other incentives. They warned that account holders could face criminal prosecution if their accounts are found to have been used to route proceeds of cyber fraud.
