The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested the alleged mastermind of a nationwide cyber fraud racket from Nagpur. The accused allegedly cheated thousands of people by promising huge returns through fake stock market and IPO investments. The accused has been identified as Anurag Arvind Srivastava. He was arrested on July 31 from his house in the Mankapur police station area.

 

He had been absconding for a long time. During the raid, STF seized a laptop, an iPhone, two SIM cards, stamps of three firms, six blank cheque books, two unsigned cheques worth Rs 3.17 crore and Rs 2.50 crore, a cancelled cheque, 139 pages of documents and a Tata Nexon car. According to the STF, the gang targeted victims through Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Fake advertisements offering stock market training attracted investors. Victims were then added to a WhatsApp group called ‘VIP Guidance Group’, where they were shown fake profits and investment tips. Later, they were asked to download a fake investment platform called Century App.

 

The app displayed false figures showing huge profits, convincing people to invest more money. Police said the gang collected crores of rupees through different bank accounts. During questioning, Anurag allegedly admitted that he had also created a fantasy gaming platform in 2022 and cheated investors of crores of rupees. The accused was brought to Lucknow on transit remand and later sent to judicial custody. Police said Anurag is wanted in 11 criminal cases, including several registered at the Lucknow Cyber Crime Police Station. The STF said 3,087 online complaints have been linked to the gang on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Around Rs 2 crore lying in bank accounts connected to the racket has been frozen. Investigators are now tracing other gang members and tracking the money trail.