Mumbai: The double life of a cybercriminal

According to the police, the accused has links with Dubai-based cyber fraudsters. Representation Pic/istock

The central cyber cell of the Mumbai Police recently arrested a 21-year-old resident of Cheeta Camp, Trombay, for cheating people across the country with the help of her cousin who was operating from Dubai. The accused, Nadiya Shaikh, was allegedly part of an international online fraud network.

This newspaper has often shed light on how online fraudsters have been operating call centres from Dubai to cheat Indians after luring them with huge share market profits and even extort money from them by placing them under "digital arrest".

Cops are checking if the Dubai-based mastermind recruited other relatives in India to commit crimes. Representation Pic/istock

The cyber police arrested Shaikh on February 19 after a businessman approached the central cyber cell in September 2024 after realising that he had been duped. "The complainant had come across a Facebook advertisement promising huge profits. Intrigued, he contacted the number provided and was eventually added to a WhatsApp group," a police officer said.

After the businessman was added to the group, other members claimed that they had invested in the stock market after taking tips from one professor Sanjay Verma. "He got lured and invested Rs 80.50 lakh. But after failing to receive anything in return, he decided to approach the police," the officer added.

The central cyber cell then swung to action and after a technical investigation, they arrested Shaikh. According to the police, her actions are just the tip of the iceberg and she has links with Dubai-based cyber fraudsters.

"I have known Nadaf for years. She worked in call centres to earn a living. She is a very simple person. It's hard to believe that she could be a part of such a big criminal enterprise," a male friend of the accused told mid-day on the condition of anonymity.

The cyber police suspect that Shaikh's role was to get victims to part with their money. "Her primary job was to lure customers. While disguising herself as one of them on a WhatsApp group, she would claim that she had profited after making certain investments. She has multiple accounts as she had purchased several SIM cards to commit the crime."

Money trail to Dubai

"We found out that money was being transacted with a person residing in Dubai named Sadaf Shah. When we interrogated her, she confessed that he is her paternal cousin and she worked for him," the officers said. The police suspect Shah is the kingpin of the racket. "He paid Shaikh R40,000 to commit fraud. It was on his instructions that she created several accounts in banks and on social media. We are investigating whether he recruited other relatives in India to commit crimes," the police said.

According to sources, Shaikh lives with her mother and sisters and went along with Shah's plans as she needed money. "She is not educated and lives in a slum. We suspect that Shah tempted her with the lure of easy money," the officer said. Shaikh has been booked by the police under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.