Delhi Police Busts Fake Visa Racket, Reveals How Gang Duped Victims Through 'Fake Companies, Fake Profiles'

New Delhi: In a significant operation, the cyber cell of Delhi Police's Crime Branch busted a fake visa racket and took into custody seven individuals for duping countless victims. The mastermind of this elaborate scheme, identified as Inamul Haq from Bihar's Darbhanga, was among those apprehended. Notably, the fraudsters originated from Darbhanga, and one was from Jamia. Haq, who is an engineer by profession, used to reside in Delhi's Zakir Nagar. 

Modus Operandi

 

The police also seized crucial evidence from their office situated at Zakir Nagar in Okhla. Shedding light on their operation, the police revealed that the group specialized in duping people with promises of acquiring visas for Dubai. Dekhi Police said that a large number of those duped by the gang are from Kerala.

How The Matter Came to Fore?

 

The illicit activities of this gang came to the authorities' attention when the victims approached the Protector of Emigrants (POE) after falling prey to the deception. The gang allegedly made Rs crore by duping hundreds of victims, said the police. 

'Gang Operated Through Fake Companies'

 

Detailing the gang's modus operandi, the Delhi Police exposed how the accused operated through a network of fake companies. These fake companies would establish seemingly legitimate front offices at reputable locations, staffed by a small number of individuals. Unsuspecting visitors would be led to believe these were genuine businesses.

The accused would then invite people to these offices, where they allegedly charged substantial consultation fees under the guise of facilitating Dubai visas. The gang sourced data from Dubai-based companies on online job platforms, ultimately defrauding hundreds of individuals.

Once approximately a hundred victims had been ensnared, the gang would promptly shut down their offices and disappear. They replicated this pattern at new locations, establishing new offices. This fraudulent operation had been ongoing for four to five years. The accused also promoted their company through social media platforms.

Victims Potentially Numbering In Thousands

 

Determining the exact number of victims remains a challenge, as many refrained from reporting the fraud since the accused would return their passports. Notably, the gang created a website through Go Daddy and concocted profiles on naukri.com, which went unchecked. 

During the police raid, approximately 110 passports with counterfeit stamps were discovered. The misuse of Aadhaar cards played a pivotal role in their operation, as fake Aadhaar cards were forged for two individuals in their office who were from Nepal.

This incident follows a prior raid by Delhi Police, where they uncovered a cyber gang that had been deceiving people under the guise of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) scheme.

The raid was triggered by a complaint from an individual who was duped of Rs 50,000 after filling out a form on www.DDAHOUSING.com, ostensibly regarding flat bookings. The complainant received a call from an individual claiming to be a senior DDA official, who assured him that his application had been approved, but he needed to deposit Rs 50,000. Suspicion arose, leading to a police complaint, and four individuals were subsequently arrested.