STF busts Ghaziabad gang duping people with fake cash-for-cash scheme

Accused from Bihar and Bulandshahr rented flats with fake IDs. Their fraud involved sleight-of-hand cash tricks and bogus online accounts, police said.

The special task force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested six suspects during a late-night raid on Thursday at a high-rise in Ghaziabad for allegedly committing fraud, cheating, and forgery by luring people with promises of higher denomination notes in exchange for smaller ones, officials said.

Operating since 2022, the gang used 160 videos and 100 mule accounts to lure people. They promised more ₹500 notes in return for smaller denominations. (File photo)

The suspects were identified as Shubham Raj, 32, Pradeep Kumar, 30, Dheeraj Mishra, 31, Sonu Kumar, 28, Amarjeet Kumar, 27, and Anurag Singh, 26. The first five are from Bihar, while Singh is from Bulandshahr. They were arrested from Gaur Siddhartham high-rise near NH-9.

“The suspects used to promise extra ₹500 notes in return for ₹100 or ₹200 notes. They created set-ups with bags placed on beds having holes beneath. Cash bundles would slip through the hole while victims believed they went into the bag. Later, the bags were packed with a layer of genuine notes and scrap paper,” said RK Mishra, additional superintendent of police, UP-STF.

Officials said the gang rented flats in Ghaziabad and Noida using fake IDs, operated since 2022, and used 160 videos and 100 mule accounts to lure victims. 25 cyber fraud complaints worth ₹1.09 crore were linked.

A case under BNS sections and the IT Act was filed at Kavi Nagar police station.