The Delhi Police have arrested three individuals for allegedly running fake helicopter booking websites and defrauding people by posing as authorised travel service providers. The accused have been identified as Omprakash Kumar, Rohit Kumar and Shreyansh Tiwari.
Modus Operandi
According to the police, the accused created and managed fake websites, including “irctc-helicopter.com” and “irctc-heliyatra.com”, which were designed to resemble genuine travel booking portals to deceive users. The websites were allegedly promoted through paid advertisements on social media platforms to attract unsuspecting users.
The incident came to light following a complaint from a victim who was duped of Rs 20,328 while attempting to book helicopter services through fraudulent websites. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Cyber police station, South district.
Investigation and Arrests
Analysis of financial transactions, bank accounts, domain registrations, email accounts, IP logs and technical evidence led the police to Omprakash Kumar and Rohit Kumar, who were arrested from Nalanda in Bihar. During questioning, the duo allegedly disclosed the involvement of Shreyansh Tiwari, alias Shivam, who, the police said, developed and managed the fake websites. He was subsequently arrested from Greater Noida.
The police said the accused were running fake travel booking websites to deceive victims across the country. After receiving initial payments for bookings, victims were allegedly asked to transfer additional amounts on various pretexts, including refunds, fresh bookings and registration charges. The funds were then routed through mule bank accounts and digital payment channels.
Scale of Fraud
According to investigators, the digital infrastructure was linked to approximately 30 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) across different states and union territories, involving an estimated cheated amount of around Rs 10 lakh. The role of another alleged associate, Anurag of Nalanda, Bihar, is under verification.
The police said Omprakash Kumar has a previous involvement in a 2022 cyber fraud case registered in North-West Delhi, while no prior criminal involvement has been reported for Rohit Kumar and Shreyansh Tiwari. Further investigation is ongoing into the matter.
