Delhi Police has arrested 3 men and apprehended a minor after uncovering an international cybercrime racket that allegedly targeted lonely individuals on social media and cheated them by promising costly gifts and foreign currency parcels, officials said on Thursday.
Among the accused is a Nigerian national, identified as the kingpin of the operation. Police traced his location by messaging him from another accused’s phone on the pretext of delivering bank documents and by analysing food delivery app records.
According to police, Culibaly Amara, aged 32, used social media platforms to identify and befriend people seeking companionship. Once trust was established, victims were told that expensive gifts and foreign currency were being sent to them. They were then pressured into paying large sums under the guise of Customs duty, late fees, and other charges.
The case came to light following a complaint from a 40-year-old woman from Burari, who was allegedly cheated of Rs 4.20 lakh using the same method.
“The woman stated in her complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting (NCRP) portal that in April 2025, she received a message from a person, who introduced himself as Nitin Patel, expressing a desire to befriend her,” a senior police officer said.
After days of conversation, the accused claimed he was sending a parcel with gifts and 50,000 pounds in cash. The woman later received messages stating that the parcel had reached Delhi airport and that payments were required to clear it.
On January 20, after making multiple transfers, she received another call from someone posing as a police officer, claiming her ‘friend’ had been arrested with foreign currency and demanding more money. She refused and realised she had been defrauded.
Police analysed call records, IP logs, social media data, emails, and bank transactions linked to nearly 200 mobile numbers. This led them to a fake bank account in Haryana and a raid in Sagarpur on January 23, where a 16-year-old was apprehended.
The minor revealed links to 2 men, Ansh and Kunal, who supplied SIM cards and bank accounts to the Nigerian national. Both were arrested from Najafgarh the same day.
Police later trapped the kingpin by sending a message from an accused’s phone. Amara was arrested in Burari while attempting to flee. Investigators said he frequently changed locations and sometimes stayed at churches.
Police seized 22 mobile phones, 14 SIM cards including 3 from the UK, 1 debit card, and a notebook. Multiple fake social media, messaging, and matrimonial app accounts were found. Around 10 similar complaints have also been linked to the racket.
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