Five Held in Rs 13.85 Crore Gurugram Cyber Case

GURUGRAM: Gurugram Police have arrested five men in connection with an alleged investment fraud in which a Sector 25 resident lost Rs 13.85 crore over several weeks in 2024.

The latest arrests focus on what investigators describe as the account-handling layer of the network. Police allege that current accounts were acquired, checked for prior cybercrime use and passed onwards at increasing prices before access was supplied to people operating outside India.

One suspect was arrested on Friday and four others were picked up from Dehradun and Shimla on Saturday. Police have named the five as Neeraj Kumar, Suraj Saroj, Surjeet Kumar alias Manas, Prashant Sharma and Tej Pratap Singh Shekhawat. They are accused persons; the allegations have not been proved in court.

According to the police account, a trader arrested in Karnal had sold access to his firm's current account for Rs 50,000. The account was allegedly resold through intermediaries for Rs 60,000 and then Rs 90,000. Investigators say the network checked that accounts were current accounts and had not already been flagged in another cyber case.

Money trail reached cryptocurrency

Police allege that account access was supplied through Telegram to suspects operating from China. One of the arrested men is said to have used a United States-based application through which cryptocurrency commission was transacted, converted into dollars and then into rupees for ATM withdrawal.

These claims will require documentary proof from banks, devices, communication records and cryptocurrency platforms. The movement of money through an account does not by itself establish that every account holder understood the full fraud. Investigators must show the role, knowledge and benefit attributed to each person.

The original complaint was registered at Cybercrime East police station on November 4, 2024. Police said the victim, the owner of a private firm, was drawn into a fraudulent investment arrangement and transferred Rs 13.85 crore over a few weeks. The latest suspects came under scrutiny after Rs 5 lakh of the amount allegedly moved through the trader's account in April.

Recoveries and victim safeguards

Police said six mobile phones have been recovered and Rs 60 lakh in various accounts has been secured so far. A freeze or recovery during investigation is not the same as money being returned to the complainant; restitution depends on verification and legal orders.

The case shows why people should treat a request to "rent" or sell a bank account as a major warning. The account holder can become part of a criminal money trail even when someone else controls the login. Businesses should not hand over current-account credentials, SIM cards, cheque books or remote access for a commission.

Investment frauds often use polished dashboards and small early returns to create confidence before demanding larger transfers. Residents should verify the entity's regulatory status, avoid installing remote-access software and call the national cyber helpline quickly if money has moved. Early reporting gives banks a better chance to stop funds before they are split across accounts.