Cyber gang busted in Shivpuri for ‘digital arrest’ blackmail:₹2.5 crore fraud uncovered, obscene calls via 10 chat apps

A major cyber fraud gang that blackmailed people across India through fake “digital arrest” threats has been exposed in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district. Police said the gang trapped victims through obscene video calls and extorted money by posing as police officers. The accused are suspected to have cheated people of more than ₹2.5 crore. The gang operated through mobile apps such as HIIU, TOKKI, MIKA, ELOELO, GAGA, HANI, SUGO, COMMECTO, HITSU, HONEY and COMET, which were downloaded using APK files. People interested in online chatting installed these apps, after which the accused targeted them. Property worth ₹1 crore seized, including cars and mobile phones Police have arrested 20 of the 32 named accused so far. During the operation, they seized property worth about ₹1.07 crore. The seized items include seven cars, one motorcycle, 29 mobile phones, 16 ATM cards, seven bank passbooks, a house registry, and ₹1.20 lakh in cash. Police said one of the accused had constructed a luxury house using money obtained through fraud. The property documents have also been seized. Gang posed as women, recorded video calls to blackmail victims Superintendent of Police Aman Singh Rathore said the accused created fake WhatsApp accounts using women’s names and photographs. They sent friend requests to people interested in online chats and later engaged them in obscene conversations and video calls. The gang secretly recorded these calls and chats. They then contacted victims posing as police officers and threatened to implicate them in serious offences such as rape or child pornography. Victims were told they were under “digital arrest” and were forced to transfer money to settle the case. Many victims transferred large amounts out of fear of legal action and social embarrassment, police said. Action taken under Operation Matrix, special teams formed The crackdown was carried out under “Operation Matrix”, an anti-cybercrime initiative running in the Gwalior zone. Nine special teams were formed in Shivpuri district to trace and arrest the accused. Police teams from Karera, Bhaunti, Amola, Surwaya, Satanbada, Kotwali, Pichhore and Kolaras police stations conducted joint raids under the supervision of SDOP Karera and SDOP Pichhore. 12 accused absconding, two women among those involved Police had identified 32 accused in the case. Of them, 20 have been arrested so far, while 12 remain absconding. Two women are also part of the gang. Police said efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused. Police advise public to stay alert against ‘digital arrest’ fraud Police have urged people not to accept video calls or chat requests from unknown persons. They said citizens should not panic if someone threatens them with a “digital arrest”. Victims have been advised to immediately report such incidents at the nearest police station or through the cybercrime helpline. Police also urged people to use social media and chatting apps cautiously to avoid falling prey to such fraud.