Cyber fraud racked busted by Kolkata police, 12 arrested in 47 lakh scam

Kolkata Police have cracked a major cyber fraud racket involving extortion and fake accounts, leading to the arrest of 12 individuals, including key operatives in Delhi and Bangalore. The case revolves around a woman from Golf Green, Kolkata, who was duped of ₹47 lakh by cybercriminals who threatened her with false claims of involvement in drug smuggling and money laundering. Under pressure, she transferred money to multiple accounts as instructed by the fraudsters.

Following the financial trail, investigators tracked a sum of ₹7.4 lakh deposited into an account of Jana Small Finance Bank, held by Uma Burney, the proprietor of Brain Burst Robotics. Raids were conducted in Anandapur, Patuli, and Narendrapur areas on September 28, 2024, resulting in the arrest of eight individuals and the discovery of a fake account syndicate. The police recovered 104 bank passbooks, 61 mobile phones, 33 debit cards, 140 SIM cards, two QR code machines, and other evidence, revealing a large-scale operation that sold fraudulent accounts to scammers across India.

During interrogations, the name of Chirag Kapoor emerged as the chief operator of the racket. Kapoor was arrested in Bangalore on January 9, 2025. Meanwhile, Onkar Singh, another key associate involved in distributing fake accounts, was arrested in Delhi on October 26, 2024. Singh revealed that the syndicate was managed by two brothers, Aditya Dua and Yogesh Dua, from Delhi. While Aditya remains absconding, Yogesh Dua was arrested on February 23, 2025, from Vivek Vihar, Delhi.

Kolkata Police sought transit custody of Yogesh Dua, but the Karkardooma Court initially denied it and granted him bail. However, after failing to arrange surety, he was sent to judicial custody. The police challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, which ruled in their favor. On February 28, 2025, the authorities finally secured his physical custody, and he is being transferred to Kolkata for further legal proceedings.

During the search of Yogesh Dua’s residence, police recovered crucial evidence, including two mobile phones, two hard disks, one laptop, eight cheque books, eight ATM cards, ₹1,86,890 in cash, and foreign currency including 4,000 Dirhams, 1,000 Yen, and 100 US dollars. Additionally, police found PAN and Aadhaar cards in different names and a Max Life insurance policy in Aditya Dua’s name, indicating possible financial fraud links.