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India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Chartered accountant arrested in Rs 750 crore Chinese loan app scam case
The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested the alleged mastermind of a pan-India cyber fraud operation involving over Rs 750 crore, at Delhi's Agarwal, a chartered accountant by profession, is accused of running a fake loan app racket in collaboration with Chinese nationals, exploiting thousands of arrest was made under a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued in an interstate cyber fraud case. Agarwal, a resident of Ashok Vihar, North West Delhi, was arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport, He was presented before a court by the cyber police for further legal COMPANIES AND CHINESE LINKSAgarwal had created around 35–40 shell companies, with 13 registered under his own name and 28 under his wife's name. Several of these companies had Chinese nationals as co-directors. The financial transactions through these entities amounted to over Rs 750 crore, now under investigation for links to illicit cyber accused is believed to have played a key role in bringing Chinese nationals to India in 2019–20 to set up the infrastructure for the scam. He had personally travelled to Shanghai and Shenzhen in 2019, which investigators believe was to coordinate operations with his overseas VIA FAKE LOAN APPSThe STF has revealed that the gang operated over 15 fake loan applications—including Inst Loan, Maxi Loan, KK Cash, RupeeGo, and Lendkar—which promised quick, low-documentation loans. Once victims downloaded the apps, the perpetrators gained access to their mobile devices, stealing personal data such as contacts, photos, and this data, the accused and his associates would blackmail and threaten victims with edited photographs and harassing messages, demanding exorbitant interest and penalties. The fear of social shame and mental harassment forced many victims to transfer large sums of money into various bank STF had earlier arrested Ankur Dhingra, another key figure in the network, from Gurgaon. Dhingra was linked to a company called Hector Lendkaro, which operated some of the fraudulent apps. In 2023, a call center in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, suspected of being part of the operation, was raided, and SIM boxes were NATIONAL INVOLVEMENTDuring interrogation, Agarwal revealed he was in contact with a Chinese cyber crime syndicate and helped set up the shell companies and bank accounts used in the operation. He named five Chinese nationals involved in the fraud:1. Difan Wang (aka @Scott Wang)2. Zhenbo He (aka @Leo)3. Miao Zhang (aka @Cicero)4. Yongguang Kuang (aka @Bolt)5. Wenxue Li (aka @Force)The police are now coordinating with other state police forces, the government, and Interpol to investigate further and explore the international dimensions of the ITEMS AND ONGOING PROBEItems including a mobile phone, a passport, Thai and Indian currencies, a power bank, digital storage device, rings and an Apple watch were seized from Abhishek Superintendent of Police (SP), STF Uttarakhand, Navneet Singh, confirmed that the case, registered in December 2022, involves organised cyber fraud on a national scale. The investigation is being led by Additional SP Swapna Kishore, Cyber Deputy SP Ankush Mishra, and Inspector Vikas Bhardwaj from the Cyber Crime Police Station, team has analysed data from bank accounts, registered phone numbers, and WhatsApp chats. Victims were identified as having transferred large amounts under duress, fearing social stigma and blackmail.- Ends
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
CA allegedly ran Rs 750 crore fake loan app scam using shell firms, Chinese links
DEHRADUN: In a significant breakthrough against inter-state cybercrime, Abhishek Agarwal, a Chartered Accountant and the alleged mastermind behind a massive fake loan app scam, was arrested by the cyber wing of Uttarakhand Police on Saturday at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. Police sources revealed Agarwal was arrested under a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him. His arrest has exposed a sprawling network that allegedly siphoned off over Rs 750 crore through illicit transactions. Investigations indicate Agarwal established a sophisticated web of approximately 35 to 40 shell companies to facilitate the fraud. Of these, 13 were registered in his own name, while 28 were in his wife's name. Several entities also listed Chinese nationals as co-directors, highlighting an international dimension to the racket. Suspicious transactions exceeding Rs 750 crore have been identified in accounts linked to these companies, which are now under detailed scrutiny. The syndicate allegedly operated by luring unsuspecting individuals with promises of quick and easy loans through more than 15 fraudulent mobile applications, including 'Insta Loan,' 'Maxi Loan,' 'KK Cash,' 'RupeeGo,' and 'Lendkar.' Once victims installed these apps, the fraudsters gained unauthorised access to their mobile devices, stealing sensitive personal data such as gallery photos, contacts, and other private information.
India Gazette
04-07-2025
- India Gazette
London murder case : Delhi police file charge sheet against husband of victim, 5 others for dowry death
By Dhiraj Beniwal New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Delhi Police have filed a charge sheet against the husband, in-laws, sister in law and two other relatives of a woman who was killed in London in November 2024. The Chargesheet has been filed under sections related to cruelty, dowry death and criminal breach of trust. A cruelty case was registered at the Palam Village police station. London police are investigating the murder case. The deceased was allegedly murdered by her husband in London on 14 November, 2024. Her body was found in the boot of the car parked in a parking space. Thereafter, the husband fled from the UK. He is absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender on May 1. Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against the husband. The Dwarka court took the charge sheet on record on July 1. The copies have been supplied, and the matter has been listed for scrutiny of documents on July 19. While dealing with the husband's plea against the ( Proclaimed Offender) PO order, Justice Pratibha M Singh refused to stay the order and said, ' This matter will require consideration. This is not a case for the vacation bench.' 'Deceased stated to have died under mysterious circumstances in the UK. This would require considerations. If the petitioner is arrested, his legal remedies can be availed,' Justice Singh said. While opposing the plea, the Public Prosecutor (PP) submitted a report from the UK Interpol. He said that the report is very confidential. It gives details on what happened. The victim was allegedly murdered by her husband in the UK. Thereafter, he fled the UK and went into hiding. Last, he was spotted in Gurugram. It is stated that one of the parents is on bail, while the other is in custody. Delhi Police had arrested the parents on March 14. An FIR was lodged at Police Station Palam Village on 03.12.2024 under Section 498A, 406, 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 85, 316, 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2025. Later on, a section related to Dowry death was added by the Delhi Police. (ANI)
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Indian Express
Australian OCI holder who faked death by oral cancer held at Mumbai airport for defrauding woman of Rs 3.6 crore
Months after a woman from a business family in Delhi and living in Pune was defrauded of Rs 3.6 crore by a man who identified himself as an Australian citizen and with whom she met through a matrimonial platform, the Pune city police's cyber crime unit arrested the accused from Mumbai airport on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Abhishek Sharadchandra Shukla—a 42-year-old film distribution businessman, arrived at Mumbai airport on a Singapore-Mumbai flight. He was detained by the Bureau of Immigration in response to a Look Out Circular (LOC) requisitioned by the Pune city police. According to police, the accused, an Australian national holding an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) certificate, allegedly impersonated as 'Dr Rohit Oberoi' and even faked his death from oral cancer as part of an elaborate scam that lasted over a year. The woman, who divorced from her husband a few years ago, registered a case with the cybercrime unit of the Pune city police in mid-November last year. She had registered herself on the 'divorcee' section of a well-known matrimonial website. The complainant connected with the profile of 'Dr Oberoi' some time around mid-2023. After initial contact, the fraudster identified himself as an Indian businessman of Australian origin and maintained communication with the woman. The fraudster promised to get married to the complainant and the two even met and spent time together at multiple locations in India, including Pune. According to police, the fraudster soon found out that the victim had received Rs 5 crore alimony. When the victime shared her goal of building a programme on mindfulness and spirituality, the accused promised to scale her business to an international level and promised to get funding for her from his contacts in Singapore. On the pretext of depositing money in escrow accounts, the fraudster manipulated the woman into making 12 large transfers, totalling Rs 3.6 crore, to accounts in Singapore and India. After a point, the fraudster said he had moved to Australia and had been diagnosed with oral cancer. He then stopped responding to calls from the victim. In September 2024, a person claiming to be a contact of 'Dr Oberoi' in Singapore said that Dr Oberoi had passed away due to cancer. When the victim confided about the sequence of events to a friend, she realised that she had been defrauded. She subsequently dialled the cybercrime helpline and an FIR was registered in November 2024. A team from the cyber crime police station, led by senior inspector Swapnali Shinde, launched a probe and established the identity of the accused as Abhishek Sharadchandra Shukla. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh said, 'The accused who is an OCI card holder from Australia claims to have a PhD in business administration from an Australian university. We are verifying this claim.' Additional CP Deshmukh added, 'Our probe has revealed that through the fake profile, the accused established contact with 3,194 women on matrimonial websites. We have reasons to believe that he has conned and defrauded more women in this manner. We are making an appeal to women who have been cheated by this profile to come forward.' Senior inspector Shinde said, 'We are also probing if the accused has any more accomplices. The women who had been cheated by this profile can contact Pune city cyber police station. We are also urging people to exercise caution on matrimonial platforms and extra caution before entering into any business or financial transactions with persons they meet through such platforms.' Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Tarn Taran: Ransom calls land two in police net in 3 cases
The Punjab Police have solved three ransom call cases in Tarn Taran and arrested two accused, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Pareek on Sunday. The Punjab Police have solved three ransom call cases in Tarn Taran and arrested two accused, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Pareek on Sunday. (HT Photo) In the first case, Nishan Singh and Gursewak Singh alias Saba were arrested. The complainant, a resident of Jagatpura and a farmer, had given 4.25 acres of land on lease to his uncle Nishan Singh for the past 12 years. Recently, he decided to take the land back and started cultivating it himself. This led to a dispute. The complainant reportedly received WhatsApp calls with threats to his life and demands for extortion. The caller claimed to be a gangster. Investigations revealed that the caller was Gursewak Singh alias Saba, who was in contact with Nishan Singh. The threats were made by Gursewak under Nishan's directions. They demanded extortion, said Pareek. In another case, Mandeep Singh, currently in Dubai and related to someone from the complainant's village. He, along with associates, was trying to extort money. Legal proceedings including Look Out Circular (LOC) have been initiated. In the third case, the complainant, a resident of Bhikhiwind, received WhatsApp calls where an unknown person claiming to be a gangster threatened to kill his family if ₹ 20 lakh was not paid. He said, 'Investigations revealed the accused as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi alias Panchi, residing in Dubai for the past 8 years and last visited Punjab about 2.5 years ago. He used the gangster name to scare and extort money. LOC has been issued to arrest the accused'. 'All three cases are under investigation. Police are working on uncovering gang connections, financial trails, and identifying additional associates. More arrests are expected', he added.
