New Delhi, May 13 Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested an accused involved in an organised online shopping fraud racket that allegedly cheated people through fake Facebook advertisements offering branded suits and sarees at discounted prices.
The accused was apprehended by the Cyber Police Station of Shahdara district following an investigation into a cyber fraud complaint lodged by a Delhi resident.
According to police, the woman complainant filed a complaint on April 18, alleging that she had been cheated of Rs 49,963 through multiple online transactions after coming across attractive advertisements on Facebook promoting branded suits and sarees at lucrative prices.
Police said the complainant showed interest in the products and was subsequently contacted by the fraudsters, who persuaded her to transfer money on the pretext of order booking and delivery charges. However, after receiving the payment, the accused allegedly stopped responding and blocked her from all communication channels.
Based on the complaint, a case under FIR No. 19/2026 under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber PS Shahdara, and an investigation was initiated immediately.
A dedicated police team comprising Inspector Vinit Kumar and Head Constables Dharmendra Rathi, Bikash Kumar, and Sandeep Khokar was constituted to crack the case. The team worked under the leadership of SHO Cyber PS Shahdara Vijay Kumar and under the close supervision of ACP Operations Mohinder Singh.
The team conducted extensive technical analysis and surveillance and found that the accused persons were operating an organised cyber fraud racket from Loharwadi village under PS Sadar in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.
Police said the accused used fake promotional videos of suits and sarees, fake Facebook IDs and profiles, mule bank accounts for receiving the cheated money, and SIM cards procured specifically for fraudulent activities.
The suspects were kept under continuous technical surveillance, and their movements were closely monitored. After sustained efforts, the police team successfully apprehended the main accused from the interior area of Loharwadi.
The arrested accused has been identified as Sarup Khan, a 33-year-old resident of the village.
During the investigation, police found that the alleged mule bank account linked to the accused was connected with two other NCRP complaints involving nearly Rs 60,000. The recovered SIM cards were also found linked with multiple cyber fraud complaints.
According to police, the accused was part of an organised cyber fraud syndicate involved in online shopping scams through fake advertisements on social media platforms, particularly Facebook.
The gang allegedly collected details of trending brands, fashionable suits and saree designs from markets and social media platforms before preparing fake promotional videos and attractive advertisements. They then created fake Facebook IDs and profiles using SIM cards arranged for fraudulent activities.
The accused would allegedly upload fake advertisements offering products at highly discounted prices and gain the trust of customers through online chats and phone calls. Victims were then induced to transfer money in the name of order booking, advance payment and delivery charges. After receiving the money, the accused would immediately block the victims and disappear.
Police further stated that the cheated amount was distributed among gang members and routed through multiple mule bank accounts, UPI transactions, ATM withdrawals and other digital payment channels to conceal the identities of the beneficiaries and evade law enforcement agencies.
During the operation, police recovered one mobile phone allegedly used in the commission of the cyber fraud and two SIM cards. One SIM card was linked to the alleged mule bank account, while the other was used for communication during the fraud.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara District, Rajendra Prasad Meena, said that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the organised cyber fraud syndicate. Further investigation in the matter is currently in progress.
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