Delhi Police have arrested three cybercriminals accused of orchestrating a large-scale online fraud worth over ₹150 crore. The accused drew inspiration from the popular web series Money Heist and adopted fake identities based on its characters.
The suspects, identified as Arpit, Prabhat, and Abbas, referred to themselves as “Professor”, “Amanda”, and “Freddy”. According to the police, the trio lived in luxury hotels while operating a sophisticated cyber racket across several states.
The case came to light after a resident of northeast Delhi reported being cheated of ₹22 lakh. He informed police that the fraudsters posed as representatives of a reputed financial company and invited him to join a WhatsApp group offering “exclusive stock market tips”. The victim was persuaded to invest through a so-called “Direct Market Account”. Once the funds were transferred, his access was blocked, and the scammers demanded additional payments.
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered, and police traced the suspects through digital footprints, including bank transactions, IP logs, and call records.
Investigations led officers to Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Guwahati in Assam. Raids conducted in Noida and Siliguri (West Bengal) resulted in the seizure of 11 mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 bank passbooks and cheque books, 32 debit cards, and screenshots of fraudulent transactions.
Police revealed that the group operated through secret WhatsApp channels named “Secure the Game” and “Pintoss”. They managed their network remotely from high-end hotels to avoid detection.
During questioning, it was found that Arpit, a lawyer by profession, played the role of “Professor”, while Prabhat and Abbas assumed the aliases “Amanda” and “Freddy”. Authorities are also examining possible links between this gang and a ₹23-crore digital arrest scam, suggesting the presence of a larger organised cybercrime network operating across cities.
A senior police official said the trio had been running their operation for several months, defrauding hundreds through fake trading platforms and online investment groups.
“Preliminary evidence shows a well-organised cyber syndicate using movie-style tactics and complex financial layers. Further investigation is underway to identify other members and recover the defrauded money,” the officer stated.
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