Chandigarh Resident Loses Lakhs In An Elaborate Work From Home Scam
CHANDIGARH: A pair of young men from Uttar Pradesh have been arrested in connection with an online work-from-home scheme that defrauded a Chandigarh resident of nearly ₹9 lakh. Investigators say the case reveals how low-level account “mules” are increasingly drawn into sprawling cyber-fraud networks that exploit social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps.
A Lure on Instagram
When Mandeep, a resident of Chandigarh, clicked on an Instagram link promising a flexible work-from-home job, it looked like the kind of opportunity that had surged during the pandemic economy. The offer tasks tied to e-commerce platforms, commissions of 20 to 30 percent, regular payouts appeared legitimate enough.
According to a complaint later filed with the city’s cybercrime police, initial payments were made promptly, cultivating a veneer of trust. Before long, the platform began urging him to complete “missions” and reactivate an “inactive withdrawal mechanism.” These steps required deposits, gradually escalating in size. By the time he realized the trap, investigators say, the losses had ballooned to ₹8.94 lakh.
The Trail of Accounts
The turning point in the case came through technical analysis. Investigators mapped the flow of funds through multiple bank accounts, tracing the deposits to one in the name of a 19-year-old from Lucknow, Abuzar.
During questioning, Abuzar allegedly admitted that he had allowed his account to be used for transactions on the instructions of his cousin, 22-year-old Mohammad Faizan Khan of Aligarh. Both men, the police say, acted as intermediaries individuals who rent out their bank accounts to fraud networks in exchange for commission.
Faizan told investigators that he had provided not only his own account but Abuzar’s as well to an unidentified individual who used both to receive cyber-fraud proceeds. This pattern, officials say, is increasingly common: a web of small actors who facilitate laundering without clear knowledge of the full structure behind the crime.
A Raid in Lucknow
Once the accounts were identified, a police team traveled to Lucknow, where they located and arrested Abuzar. His mobile phone, which officers say may contain communication records with co-conspirators, was seized for forensic examination.
The arrests, authorities note, are preliminary steps in what appears to be a broader operation that spans multiple states. Investigators are now examining whether the same accounts were used in other frauds and how far the network extends beyond the two men currently in custody.
