Delhi Police have arrested a mother and son from Ghaziabad for allegedly running a fake detective agency website and cheating a man of ₹1.15 lakh after he searched online for private investigation services.
The accused have been identified as Poonam Singh, 45, and her son Arnav Singh, 22. Police allege that the duo operated SleuthIndia.com, a website designed to closely resemble the genuine detective agency website SleuthsIndia.com.
The case came to light after complainant Bhanu Pratap Singh searched online for detective services and found the lookalike website. He contacted the mobile number listed on the site and was allegedly assured that private investigation services would be provided.
According to police, Singh was subsequently persuaded to pay around ₹1.15 lakh. The promised services were allegedly not provided after the payment, prompting him to approach the cybercrime unit.
An e-FIR was registered at Cyber East police station under Sections 318(4), 319(2) and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provisions relate broadly to cheating, cheating by personation and offences involving forged or fraudulent documents or electronic records.
Police said the small difference between the genuine and fake domain names played a key role in the alleged fraud. Investigators examined the website, associated phone numbers, email addresses and communication records to trace its operators.
The financial trail also became central to the investigation. Police allege that the ₹1.15 lakh paid by the complainant was credited to an IDFC First Bank account held in Poonam Singh’s name before being transferred to other accounts.
Investigators combined transaction records with technical evidence from the website and communication channels. Police said these trails led them to a residential address at Migsun Roof in Sikrod, Ghaziabad, where a team conducted a raid.
Arnav Singh was arrested first. Police recovered a laptop and mobile phone from him. A second mobile phone belonging to Poonam Singh was also seized. Investigators said it contained several phone numbers, including one allegedly used to communicate with the complainant.
Poonam Singh was subsequently arrested. Both accused were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody.
The seized devices are now being examined for digital evidence. Investigators are expected to review browser history, emails, customer communications and payment records to determine whether other people may have been targeted through the website.
Police are also examining how long the website had allegedly been operating and whether payments from other customers were received.
According to police records cited in reports, Poonam Singh had previously been involved in another fraud case registered at Sarai Rohilla police station under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Police have not established a connection between that case and the current allegations.
The allegations in the present case have not been proved in court. The investigation remains focused on the website, the complainant’s payment and the financial and digital trail allegedly linked to the accused.
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