The Delhi Police have apprehended two individuals from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding a man of over Rs 11 lakh through a fraudulent online stock trading platform that promised substantial returns, as reported by an official on Monday. The suspects, Jabir Husen (38) and Maaz Arodiya (30), hailing from Sabarkantha in Gujarat, were arrested following an extensive technical investigation. Authorities seized two mobile phones, two debit cards, a passbook, and a cheque book from them. The case emerged when a Delhi resident filed a complaint on May 13 via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, asserting that he lost Rs 11.20 lakh after being enticed to invest in a scam trading application named Blinkxmax.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hareshwar Swami, the complainant claimed he was approached through a Facebook group showcasing fake profit screenshots that promised daily returns of 5 to 10 percent. A case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the cyber police station commenced an investigation. The police revealed that the suspects had developed counterfeit trading applications and marketed them through social media to attract investors. Once victims deposited money, the funds were redirected to bank accounts managed by their associates and laundered through multiple accounts in Gujarat and Maharashtra to obscure their origin.
Analysis indicated that the same suspects and bank accounts were associated with at least three other complaints regarding similar fraudulent trading app schemes, revealing a broader interstate cyber network, according to the DCP.