Surat, September 3: A 20-year-old student has been arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving ₹26.12 lakh in Gujarat. The suspect, identified as Aditya Pandey, hails from Silvassa and is originally from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. He was apprehended by the Surat city police’s cyber crime cell following a technical investigation.
According to police reports, the victim was initially contacted via Telegram and offered small payments for viewing and liking social media reels. To gain the victim’s trust, the fraudsters deposited ₹150 into the victim’s bank account after the initial tasks. They then lured the victim into making larger ‘investment’ payments.
The accused allegedly sent links to fake websites through Telegram, instructing the victim to create accounts and transfer money to various bank accounts under the guise of investment opportunities. Ultimately, the victim transferred ₹26,12,791. When the victim attempted to withdraw the funds later, the transaction failed, revealing the fraud.
A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act at the cyber crime police station. Police revealed that ₹1.20 lakh was transferred from the victim to Pandey’s HDFC bank account on January 8, 2026.
Investigators allege that Pandey provided his account details to an absconding co-accused, identified as Arif, to facilitate illegal transactions from the cyber fraud. In total, ₹51,31,272 was transacted through Pandey’s savings account between December 4, 2024, and May 12, 2026, with ₹1,63,020 flagged as suspicious.
A review of the National Cyber Reporting Portal (NCRP) revealed four complaints from different states, with a total alleged fraud amounting to ₹1,97,18,059. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Vishakha Jain stated that the investigation uncovered Pandey’s involvement in facilitating transactions for the absconding suspect in exchange for a three percent commission.
Jain confirmed that Pandey was arrested after identifying him as the holder of the HDFC bank account through technical investigation. Efforts to apprehend the absconding suspect are ongoing. Jain noted that no prior criminal record for Pandey has been found, although four complaints were identified in the NCRP, which will be reported to the local police.
Highlighting the tactics of fraudsters, Jain explained that social media and messaging platforms enable scammers to contact victims without face-to-face interaction. She urged citizens to be cautious of advertisements promising high returns on online share market investments and to verify the identities of unknown individuals before engaging in financial transactions.
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