A 20-year-old man from Silvassa has been arrested by the Surat cybercrime police for allegedly allowing scammers to use his bank account to move money linked to an online fraud. Police said he received a 3% commission for providing the account.
The case involves a victim who was allegedly cheated of Rs 26,12,791 through a fake social media task and investment scheme. The victim was first contacted by the cyber fraud gang on ShareChat, with further communication taking place on Telegram.
The accused, identified as Aditya Pandey, was arrested following a technical investigation by the cybercrime team.
Victim lured through fake task and investment scheme
According to police, Pandey and his associates sent the victim a Telegram link offering money for a simple task of viewing reels. To build trust, the fraudsters initially credited Rs 150 to the victim’s bank account for completing the task.
The victim was later encouraged to make payments and investments through links to fake and forged websites shared on Telegram. He was asked to transfer money into multiple bank accounts.
The victim eventually transferred Rs 26,12,791. When he later tried to withdraw the money, the fraudsters allegedly stopped him from doing so.
During the investigation, police found that Rs 1.20 lakh of the victim’s money had been transferred to an HDFC Bank account held by Pandey on Jan 8, 2026.
Account allegedly used for illegal transfers
Police said Pandey had shared his bank account details with another accused, identified as Arif, through Telegram. In return, he allegedly received a 3% commission for facilitating the illegal transfer of cyber fraud money.
Investigators found that transactions worth Rs 51.31 lakh had passed through Pandey’s savings account between Dec 4, 2024 and May 12, 2026.
Police also found a disputed amount of Rs 1.63 lakh in the account.
Further verification through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) showed that the same bank account was linked to 4 complaints from different states involving fraud worth Rs 1.97 crore.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.