Madhya Pradesh Cyber Crime: Two Arrested in ₹49.40 Lakh Online Scam; Passbooks, SIMs, Cash Seized

The Cyber Crime police have arrested two members of an interstate gang from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, for defrauding a victim of ₹49.40 lakh through a “digital arrest” scam. The accused posed as officials of TRAI and CBI to extort money. From their possession, police recovered 21 passbooks, 19 chequebooks, 15 debit cards, ₹1.10 lakh in cash, 12 SIM cards, three bank account opening forms, and one diary. Earlier, three other gang members had already been arrested in the same case. DCP Crime Saravanan T. confirmed their identities as Abhilash Srivastava of Gwalior and Sameer Rana of Bhind.

According to the police, the accused operated with foreign cybercriminals and used forged documents, fake warrants, and digitally signed papers to trick people into believing they were under investigation. Victims were threatened with arrest and coerced into transferring their money. The fraudsters created fake RBI-linked accounts to receive funds and then moved the money across multiple bank accounts. Finally, they converted the proceeds into cryptocurrency with the help of international associates, withdrawing cash and dividing the profits among themselves. The sophisticated operation highlighted deep cyber-criminal networks.

The case came to light when Subhash Chandra, a resident of Krishna Apartment in Shivaji Nagar, Mahmoorganj, under Sigra police station, became the victim. On May 13, 2025, he was contacted by fraudsters impersonating TRAI and CBI officials, who intimidated him with threats of “digital arrest.” They extorted a total of ₹49.40 lakh using this tactic. Chandra immediately reported the matter to the police, leading to a detailed investigation. The complaint highlighted how criminals exploit fear and official-sounding designations to manipulate unsuspecting citizens into surrendering their hard-earned money.

During the investigation, Inspector Gopalji Kushwaha traced the accused by analyzing linked bank accounts and mobile numbers. Based on this evidence, a police team was dispatched to Gwalior and successfully apprehended the duo. The arrest operation included SI Sanjeev Kanojia, ASI Shyamlal Gupta, Prithviraj Singh, and Ankit Prajapati, who coordinated to ensure swift action. Officials have confirmed that further investigations are underway to nab the remaining gang members and dismantle the larger cybercrime network involved in this interstate and international fraud racket.