Cyber cops bust online fraud racket, 3 arrested | Lucknow News
Lucknow: The cyber crime cell of Balrampur police unearthed a major fraud involving illegal online gaming and loan apps, arresting three members of an inter-state syndicate operating across Uttar Pradesh.The accused—Rahul Mishra of Amethi, Nirmal Kumar of Bahora in Farrukhabad, and Dharmendra Singh of Auraiya—were arrested in Lucknow on Monday. Police recovered three Android smartphones from them, which contained details of 85 bank accounts, out of which 31 accounts showed suspicious transactions worth Rs 60.24 crore. Superintendent of police (SP) Vikash Kumar said that so far seven arrests were made in connection with the racket, with investigations revealing financial transactions amounting to Rs 112 crore. The gang also routed a portion of the money to Pakistan through crypto transfers. According to police, the accused operated through illegal betting and gaming apps like Superpay, Bropay, Sarkpay, Avitor, and Teenpatti. They lured victims by adding them to Telegram and WhatsApp groups with promises of easy earnings, then trapped them in betting scams. Funds collected were funneled through multiple “mule” accounts rented for commission, converted into cryptocurrency, and transferred abroad. Agents facilitating accounts received a 10% cut. The gang also ran fraudulent loan apps, which disbursed small amounts to borrowers but charged them exorbitant interest rates, extracting huge sums under pressure tactics. The seized phones also contained data of Telegram groups, WhatsApp chats, bank accounts, and crypto wallets linked to the fraud. Police are now coordinating with crypto exchanges to trace wallet-to-wallet movements and identify international handlers involved in the racket.
