The Cyber Crime Branch in Bhopal has arrested four individuals involved in an elaborate online job fraud scheme that duped victims by promising lucrative returns for completing virtual tasks. The accused were apprehended from Mandsaur, Ujjain, and Dewas following a detailed investigation into the scam.

According to the police, the gang operated by creating Telegram groups where they offered fake online jobs. Victims were directed to fraudulent websites and asked to open Demat accounts under the guise of earning high profits. Once the victims deposited substantial sums, the fraudsters blocked withdrawals, claiming that their credit scores were low. To "increase the withdrawal limit," the victims were manipulated into completing higher-value tasks, which further increased the gang's illegal gains. After accumulating significant funds in these accounts, the accused sold them to other cybercriminals for profit.

The investigation began after Arun Prakash Chaudhary, a resident of Nehru Nagar in Bhopal, filed a complaint on October 7, 2024. Chaudhary reported that he had lost Rs 16,70,050, which was fraudulently transferred to the gang's bank accounts. Upon receiving the complaint, the Crime Branch launched an extensive inquiry that led to the identification and arrest of the perpetrators.

During the operation, the police seized two mobile phones, three SIM cards, a cheque book linked to a fake account, and an ATM card used in the scam. The arrested individuals have been identified as Kuldeep Meghwal (20) from Mandsaur, who provided bank accounts for the fraud; Lal Singh (31) from Ujjain, who was also involved in renting out accounts for the gang’s operations; Nitesh Chauhan (26) from Ujjain, who opened accounts in the names of villagers and sold them on commission; and Rohit Jaiswal (22) from Dewas, who used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase cryptocurrency.

A senior officer from the Cyber Crime Branch stated that the investigation is ongoing to identify other members of the gang and track the money trail. Authorities have also issued a public advisory warning against falling prey to online job scams and urging citizens to report suspicious activities immediately.