Jaipur, Aug 25 (IANS) Rajasthan Police’s State Cyber Crime Police Station has arrested Vishal Sharma, a resident of Bhopal, in connection with a Rs 12 crore cyber fraud allegedly committed through a fake online gold trading website. With this arrest, the number of accused held in the case has risen to five.
Officials said the complainant was defrauded of Rs 12,09,65,512 after receiving a WhatsApp link to a fraudulent trading platform in September 2025.
The victim deposited over Rs 6 crore between October and November, with the website displaying a virtual wallet balance of Rs 9.42 crore, including purported profits.
When the complainant attempted to withdraw funds, the accused allegedly demanded additional payments under the guise of taxes and processing charges, leading to further deposits until the total exceeded Rs 12 crore.
Investigators traced Rs 25 lakh of the defrauded amount to Sharma’s Bank of Baroda account.
He was already in judicial custody at Tihar Jail in another cybercrime case registered by Cyber Police, West Delhi, and was brought to Jaipur on a production warrant. Police said Sharma admitted to opening accounts on the instructions of associates and allowing them to use the accounts for transactions.
His account was allegedly used to route proceeds of the fraud.
The cyber crime team is analysing WhatsApp records, call detail reports, identity documents and banking transactions to track the money trail and identify other members of the network. Police said Sharma had links with individuals in Nepal and Bhopal and had previously faced action by Hyderabad Police.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious of online trading and investment schemes circulated via WhatsApp, Telegram and social media. They warned against clicking suspicious links, transferring money for withdrawals, or allowing others to use bank accounts for commissions, as such accounts are often exploited in cybercrime.
–IANS
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