Delhi Police Bust Cyber Fraud Gang After Retired DRDO Scientist Loses ₹40 Lakh

Delhi Police arrested four in a hacker gang that defrauded a retired DRDO scientist of ₹40 lakh. The gang used malware disguised as customer support tools to access bank details and transfer funds. Police traced the operation to Jharkhand and Rajasthan, recovering incriminating data from seized smartphones.

In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police have busted a cybercrime syndicate that allegedly duped a retired Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist of ₹40 lakh. Four individuals were arrested in connection with the case, which involved remote hacking of victims’ phones using malware disguised as customer service support.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Surendra Choudhary, the fraudsters posed as customer care agents and tricked victims into downloading a malicious Android Package Kit (APK) file. Once installed, the file granted remote access to the victim’s device, allowing the hackers to extract critical personal and financial data such as banking credentials, PAN details, and CVV codes.

The investigation began after the retired scientist reported that funds were drained from his savings and fixed deposit accounts over the course of a week. He had searched online for a customer support number, unknowingly contacted the fraudsters, and installed the malware they sent via social media.

The police traced the operation to Deoghar in Jharkhand and Mewat in Rajasthan. Based on geo-location tracking and surveillance, four suspects were arrested: Iqbal Ansari, Sajid Khan, Salman Khan, and Narendra Kumar. Each played a specific role in the operation—Ansari handled fake ads and malware deployment, Khan and Khan recruited people to open mule accounts, and Kumar withdrew cash using ATM cards linked to those accounts.

Also Read: Meerut Murder: Victim’s Mother Alleges Conspiracy, Claims Granddaughter Knew About Crime

Five smartphones were recovered, containing incriminating data such as Excel sheets with victims’ financial details. Authorities believe the gang targeted multiple victims across India using similar methods, and further investigations are underway to identify more accomplices and victims.