The arrests were made on Sunday after an in-depth investigation into a digital arrest scam. So far in 2025, over 350 complaints related to such scams have been registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
The case came to light after a resident of Vellore district filed a complaint. The victim was tricked into transferring Rs 81.7 lakh by fraudsters pretending to be officials from the Bengaluru police. They falsely accused him of being involved in human trafficking and an overseas job scam, and demanded money for “verification.”
Police traced the transaction to a bank account in the name of K. Shobana from Pollachi, Coimbatore district. During questioning, Shobana said she opened the account at the request of her brother, M. Suresh, who told her it was for an online gaming business and promised a commission.
Suresh later introduced investigators to S. Senthil Kumar, a cattle feed merchant from Coimbatore, who was managing the fraudulent bank accounts. The inquiry also revealed the role of Shobana’s husband, S. Karthik Raja, who had been contacted by a man named Piyush—introduced through Suresh—as part of the gaming setup.
Piyush offered a 2% commission on profits and asked Karthik to open a bank account, enable internet banking, and share the login details. Since Karthik has a physical disability, his elder brother, Prabhu, a truck driver, went to Lucknow to deliver the banking kit to Piyush.
Police found that Rs 12 lakh was deposited into Shobana’s account on January 2 and 3. K. Shobana, M. Suresh, S. Senthil Kumar, and S. Karthik Raja have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the scam.
Tags:
Cybercrime in India
