Rs 250-Crore Money Heist-Style Cyber Fraud Linked to China, Cambodia Busted
Fraudsters mimicked Netflix’s Money Heist characters while duping hundreds through fake online trading platforms, laundering money via mule accounts and cryptocurrency
Delhi Police have uncovered a sophisticated cross-border cyber-fraud network that cheated hundreds of Indians through fake online trading schemes, siphoning off nearly ₹250 crore via mule accounts tied to handlers in China and Cambodia.
Investigators said the operation blended pop-culture mimicry, financial deception, and digital anonymity, with members adopting aliases from the hit Netflix series Money Heist.
Three men — Arpit Mishra (25), a lawyer from Jaipur; Prabhat Vajpayee (22), an MCA postgraduate from Ghaziabad; and Mohammad Abbas Khan (24) from Imphal East, Manipur — were arrested in late October. Two more accused, identified by their screen names “Berlin” and “Tokyo”, remain absconding.
Police said Mishra went by “Professor”, while Vajpayee and Khan used “Amanda” and “Denver” as aliases. The group’s key role was to arrange mule bank accounts, often opened in the names of poor or unaware individuals, to receive and route illicit funds.
“These accounts were used to channel money collected through fake investment portals and later laundered via cryptocurrency and hawala routes to handlers based in China and Cambodia,” an investigating officer said.
The fraud came to light following a complaint from a Delhi resident who lost several lakhs in a fake trading app. Digital trails led investigators from Noida to Siliguri, eventually exposing the broader network spanning multiple countries.
Police said the arrested men communicated through a secure WhatsApp group to hide their identities and coordinated fund transfers. Each received commissions in cash through hawala channels.
Authorities are now coordinating with cybercrime units and international agencies to trace the money trail and identify the overseas masterminds.
