Man Held in Hyderabad in Online Gaming, Betting Fraud Case

He allegedly cheated innocent people by luring them with promises of easy money through illegal online gaming and cricket betting platforms. He projected fake profits to gain trust and siphoned off large sums of money using multiple mule bank accounts and digital payment modes, according to a press release.

The fraud came to light when a 32-year-old person from Secunderabad lodged a complaint stating that in 2021 he received WhatsApp messages offering easy money through online betting on a website, which hosted casino and cricket betting games, including a flight game.

Initially, the complainant invested Rs.10,000 and received a small profit, which created trust. Believing the platform to be genuine, he continued betting and deposited a total of Rs.10 lakh during 2021 through multiple transactions into bank accounts provided by the accused. After losing the entire amount, he stopped playing.

In 2022, the accused again contacted the complainant and persuaded him to invest in another platform, claiming it to be safe and profitable. Trusting these assurances, the complainant invested further amounts between 2021 and 2025, totaling Rs.55 lakh, through bank transfers, UPI IDs, cash deposit machines, and QR codes across multiple betting websites. The complainant ultimately lost the entire amount.

Based on the complaint, the police booked a case and took it for investigation. The police said Vishal, along with his associates Guddu, Dweide and Suraj Bhusal alias Bokshi, operated an organised online betting racket by creating and managing illegal gaming platforms to cheat unsuspecting members of the public with promises of assured and quick profits.

According to police, Vishal, who had discontinued his studies and earlier worked as a recovery agent with Shriram Finance in Pune, travelled to Dubai in October 2021 on a job visa, where he worked as an event representative. During his stay in Dubai, he came into contact with Suraj Bhusal, a native of Nepal, who introduced him to the operation of illegal online betting platforms using agent ID panels.

After returning to India, Vishal continued his association with Suraj and, on his advice, obtained an agent ID from the betting platform by paying Rs.20,000. Using this agent ID, he created a sub-website by refilling one lakh betting coins.

Customers were attracted to the platform through advertisements on social media and bulk WhatsApp messages, promising easy and guaranteed earnings through online casino and cricket betting games. To facilitate the operation, Vishal created several fake shell companies and procured 57 current bank accounts using forged firm names and rubber stamps.

Customers were issued betting IDs and passwords only after depositing money into these mule bank accounts through bank transfers, UPI, QR codes and cash deposit machines. Vishal also procured a large number of SIM cards through his associates, which were used to contact victims and circulate promotional messages. Whenever a SIM card was blocked or reported as spam, it was replaced with a new one.

Customer data obtained from other betting platforms was shared with Vishal by Suraj Bhusal, enabling targeted outreach to potential victims. Vishal spent approximately Rs.6,000 per day on social media advertisements to promote website and also purchased bulk WhatsApp SMS software to send mass promotional messages.

When bank accounts linked to the fraud were frozen following complaints filed by victims on the NCRP portal, Vishal opened new current accounts in the names of additional fake shell companies to continue the illegal operations.

In this manner, the accused systematically cheated several victims, including the complainant, who was defrauded of Rs.55 lakh. As per NCRP data, at least 22 cyber fraud cases across India have been linked to the fake shell company bank accounts operated by the accused. Investigations are ongoing to trace the money trail, freeze additional accounts and apprehend the absconding accused.