PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) arrested cyber fraud gang leader Suraj Maula from Barrackpore commissionerate area in West Bengal for scamming a Tehri resident of Rs 3.2 crore. The accused used fake identities and bank details to pose as a senior company official and trick the victim through WhatsApp messages and calls, the deputy superintendent of police of cyber crime police station Ankush Mishra said. He informed that the investigation began after the victim lodged a complaint in May 2025, reporting that he had received a message introducing the sender as a managing director seeking an advance payment of Rs 1.95 crore for a new project. The accused asked the victim to transfer the amount to an account named Shyam Trading Company. After this, the victim suspected fraud and reported the case. Mishra said that the STF launched an investigation and inspector Tribhuvan Rautela from STF’s cyber crime police unit collected digital evidence from banks, service providers and Meta. Data analysis confirmed the accused had posed as a hotel company executive and convinced the victim to transfer money into several bank accounts. The DSP said that the main accused was identified as Suraj Maula, a resident of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. He was traced and arrested with the help of technical evidence. During the arrest, the STF recovered two mobile phones with three SIM cards, one driving licence, one Aadhaar card, one Aadhaar photocopy, three debit cards and two extra SIM cards.
Mishra further said that the preliminary investigation revealed that Maula presented himself as an MD and contacted the victim’s finance team on WhatsApp. He used fake credentials and transferred large amounts across various accounts. In one account alone, transactions worth several crores were recorded within a month. He said that the investigation is ongoing. He also urged the public not to fall for online job offers, investment schemes or unknown websites promising quick returns. In case of suspicion, people should contact the nearest police station or call the cyber helpline 1930 immediately.
