A major international cyber fraud racket has been busted in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state raided the Olive Garden Hotel in the Jagannathpur police station area of Ranchi and arrested seven Indian agents working for a Chinese cyber fraud network. These accused lured people into investing with the promise of high returns and then digitally blackmailed them to extort large sums of money.
How the Chinese Cyber Fraud Racket Operated
The CID investigation revealed that all the accused were working for fake Chinese financing apps like Milnay, DragonPay, SuperPay, and MangoPayIndia. Their job was to supply mule bank accounts from across the country, which were used to receive the fraud money. One accused was directly connected to the Chinese network as a 'special agent'.
The entire plan was highly organized—Chinese handlers sent an application (APK file) to these agents via Telegram. These apps, which the agents installed on mobile phones linked to bank SIMs, sent OTPs and bank alert information directly to a server in China. This allowed cyber fraudsters to remotely control those accounts and carry out frauds worth crores of rupees.
Important Digital Evidence Found in the Raid
The arrested accused have been identified as youths from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh—Kumar Deepak, Kumar Saurabh, Prabhat Kumar, Lakhan Chaurasia, Anil Kumar, Shivam Kumar, and Pradeep Kumar. The CID seized 12 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, 14 ATM cards, a laptop, a checkbook, and more than 60 suspicious WhatsApp-Telegram chats from them.
Investigations so far have revealed information about 60 mule bank accounts linked to this gang, while more than 68 cyber fraud complaints have been registered against them across the country. This gang was operating like an organized cyber network, whose roots may be spread across several states in the country.
How to Avoid Cyber Fraud
The Crime Investigation Department, Ranchi, has appealed to the general public to be vigilant. The department has said not to fall for investment offers on social media or the internet, sudden lottery messages, or tempting return-based apps. Verify the authenticity of any app before installing it. Sharing bank details or OTPs through unknown links, fake websites, or unauthorized apps can cause heavy losses.
If a person falls victim to cyber fraud, they should immediately call the National Cyber Helpline 1930 or file an online complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in so that action can be taken in time.
