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Delhi digital arrest probe reveals complex trail of pan-India ops

Fraudsters stole ₹7 crore from a 70-year-old woman using over 2,000 mule accounts, complicating the investigation for Delhi police.

Published on: Jan 17, 2026, 03:38:07 IST
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New Delhi

Fraudsters diverted  ₹7 crore they robbed from through over 2,000 mule accounts in transactions of  ₹100-200. (Representative photo)
Fraudsters diverted ₹7 crore they robbed from through over 2,000 mule accounts in transactions of ₹100-200. (Representative photo)

A probe into the digital arrest of a 70-year-old Greater Kailash-1 resident revealed that the fraudsters diverted ₹7 crore they robbed from the woman through over 2,000 mule accounts in transactions of ₹100-200 to evade detection by creating a complex money trail, officers aware of the investigation said on Friday.

Investigators said they were able to “hold/freeze” ₹2 crore on Thursday, but not anymore, as the accused have built a robust and complex web.

“We thought we would trace these accounts and get all money but the accused were quick. The transactions were made between January 9 and January 12. Our digital probe has revealed that the accused managed to send money in more than 2,000 accounts. We can’t possibly trace the trail now,” a senior officer from the Delhi Police headquarters said.

The officer said, “They created thousands of mule accounts just to cheat us further and make it difficult to reach them and the money…what’s more shocking is that after the fraud, they started transferring amounts as small as ₹100-200 to each of these mule accounts. Imagine thousands of accounts getting ₹100, ₹200, ₹500…it will be a task to reach the accused.”

Another senior police officer said, “On Wednesday morning, the woman received a fake court order which made her suspicious. She approached the police and we found three major transactions of ₹4 crore, ₹1.3 crore and ₹1.6 crore. During our probe, we found that these were received in three different accounts, based in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Rajasthan.”

The officer said, “This can’t be a two or three-person job. To create these many mule accounts is a task. Also, these accounts are based in more than seven states. We are looking at a pan-India operation.”

When asked if the digital fraud was connected to a December 2025 fraud, in which an NRI couple in GK-2 was duped of ₹14 crore, investigators said that the modus operandi was similar, but bank accounts differed.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jignasa Sinha

Jignasa Sinha is a Special Correspondent at Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With more than six years of reporting experience, she covers crime and policing in the national capital. Her beats also include Delhi prisons, the Delhi Fire Services and Delhi courts, while she regularly reports on gender, labour and social justice. Over the course of her career, Jignasa has reported on major criminal investigations, international crime syndicates, high-profile cyber fraud cases, law-and-order developments, protests, disasters and public institutions. Her reporting combines breaking news with in-depth, long form, human interest stories that examine the human impact of public policy, policing and the criminal justice system. In addition to reporting for the newspaper, she contributes to the Hindustan Times website and app, and plays an active role in coordinating on-ground coverage of major developments and breaking news across Delhi. Before joining Hindustan Times, Jignasa worked at The Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi, where she spent five years covering crime, Delhi airport, courts and health. She began her journalism career as an intern at an AI magazine in Bengaluru while pursuing her postgraduate diploma in multimedia journalism at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media.

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Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.
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