Cyber fraud factory busted in UP's Kheri: 12 arrested, 1,500 SIM cards seized in massive crackdown

New Delhi:

In a major breakthrough against organised cyber crime, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Kheri has busted an inter-district fraud network allegedly involved in online scams, fake bank accounts and digital betting operations. Acting under the direction of SSP Dr Khyati Garg, police carried out a raid in the Khamariya area on May 15 and arrested 12 accused persons.

Officials said the gang was running a well-organised systm that used fake and benami bank accounts, SIM cards and digital wallets to support cyber fraud activities across different regions.

Huge recovery during police raid 

During the operation, police recovered a large quantity of material allegedly linked to cyber fraud activities. The seized items included 1,494 SIM cards, 27 Android mobile phones, 26 ATM, debit and credit cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, Aadhaar and PAN cards, Ayushman cards, a fingerprint reader device and Rs 61,000 in cash.

Police also seized a Honda Amaze car believed to have been used by the accused during their operations.

Villagers allegedly used as fronts 

According to investigators, the gang allegedly targeted poor and unsuspecting villagers by approaching them in the name of Ayushman cards and government welfare schemes. Officials said the accused collected identity documents from villagers and later used them to open bank accounts, create digital wallet accounts and obtain SIM cards. The account holders reportedly remained unaware that their identities were being used for illegal activities.

The gang allegedly linked these accounts to betting and gaming applications, including the Big Winner App, through which money obtained from cyber fraud was routed and circulated.

How the gang tried to escape detection 

Police said the accused created multiple layers to hide the real operators behind the fraud. When complaints were filed and investigations began, the first trail often led to innocent villagers whose documents had been misused.

Officials explained that the actual gang members stayed hidden while fake account holders and SIM owners appeared in records, making investigations more difficult. The large number of SIM cards, bank documents, mobile phones and identity records recovered during the raid point towards a full-fledged cyber fraud infrastructure.

Police said the operation has helped dismantle a major support network used for cyber fraud activities, involving identity misuse, mule accounts, digital wallets and betting platforms.