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TIL CreativesTrading Scam Their plan was audacious, their methods professional, and their inspiration straight out of a TV thriller. A group of alleged cyber criminals in Delhi took cues from the hit Netflix series Money Heist, adopting the show’s character names and staging what police described as a “real-life digital robbery”, a TOI report stated.The mastermind, 25-year-old Arpit Mishra, went by the name “Professor,” just like the show’s lead character. Under him worked key associates, Prabhat Vajpayee, alias “Amanda,” a computer science postgraduate who handled digital communications and fund transfers, and Abbas Khan, known as “Berlin,” who ensured daily operations ran without a hitch.Rs 50 crore lost in fake online trading schemeWith the precision of seasoned criminals, the gang duped nearly 200 people of Rs 50 crore through a fake online trading platform. According to special CP (law and order) Ravindra Yadav, the operation, code-named “Direct Market Account”, was a “near-perfect digital deception.”The group posed as elite financial brokers, luring victims by inviting them to an “exclusive” WhatsApp group that promised inside market tips.“The setup was elaborate: a fake trading platform, phantom shares and the promise of massive returns — a perfect illusion created to secure maximum gains. Funds of unsuspected people were swiftly transferred before the gang locked their accounts, freezing their money and then demanding a fresh ransom under the threat that they would otherwise have to forfeit their entire investment,” a cop said.Live EventsPolice crack the digital trailThe elaborate scam began to unravel after a victim named Rohit filed a complaint, saying he had been duped of Rs 22 lakh. The fraudsters had posed as representatives of a reputed financial firm.“The cyber crime team of northeast district comprising inspector Rahul Kumar and others pieced together the digital trail, arresting Vajpayee (22) and Khan (24). Mishra (25) was tracked down to Siliguri in West Bengal and nabbed,” said DCP (northeast) Ashish Mishra.Seizures and ongoing investigationPolice recovered 14 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards, and 32 debit cards from the accused — evidence of a large, well-organised racket. Investigators said a manhunt is on to trace other members of the syndicate who may have played supporting roles in the scam.The story of Delhi’s “Money Heist” gang might have looked glamorous on screen, but for those who lost their hard-earned savings, it was nothing short of a nightmare.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onDelhi Money Heist gang scamRs 50 crore trading scamfake online trading platformcyber criminalsfinancial fraud casedigital robbery (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onDelhi Money Heist gang scamRs 50 crore trading scamfake online trading platformcyber criminalsfinancial fraud casedigital robbery(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition123View all Stories
