The Cyber Cell of the Chandigarh Police has cracked down on an interstate fraud racket, arresting three women from Delhi for allegedly cheating a city resident of Rs 1.73 lakh in a sophisticated credit card scam. The accused, identified as Pratima Sharma (18), Juhi Sethi (27), and Roshni (59), all residents of Delhi, are believed to have duped multiple victims using similar tactics.
The Modus Operandi: A Phone Call That Led to Hacking
The incident came to light when Pankaj Kumar, a store manager for a jeweller in Manimajra and a resident of Sector 52, filed a complaint with the cyber police. According to his statement, on October 28, 2025, he received a call from an unknown number. The caller, introducing herself as Simran Sharma from the credit card department of a prominent international bank, offered him a new credit card with an enhanced limit of Rs 4,50,000 in exchange for his old one.
She enticed him by saying he would receive more reward points for a nominal payment of just Rs 170. Once Pankaj agreed, the accused sent him a link via WhatsApp. As soon as he opened the link, Rs 170 was deducted from his SBI credit card. Shortly after, he received another call from a different number. This caller instructed him to pay the outstanding amount on his SBI credit card to further increase the limit of the new card and sent another WhatsApp link.
The moment Pankaj opened this second link, his phone was hacked. He later received transaction alerts for two unauthorized deductions from his SBI credit card: one for Rs 1,53,900 and another for Rs 19,562, totaling Rs 1,73,462.
Police Raid Uncovers a Fraud Factory
Following the complaint, a case was registered and an investigation was launched. The police traced the operations of the accused to Ashok Nagar and Uttam Nagar in Delhi. A dedicated team conducted a raid and successfully arrested the three accused from Tilak Nagar in West Delhi.
The scale of the operation became clear during the search. Police claimed to have recovered a vast array of equipment used for fraud, including:
- 28 mobile phones
- 82 SIM cards
- 55 ATM cards
- Two Aadhaar cards and two PAN cards
- Eight dongles
- 27 landline phones
- Wireless transmitters
- Multiple bank cheque books and passbooks
Investigation revealed that the accused used these personal details and devices to impersonate officials from banks and credit card companies, lending credibility to their scams and targeting numerous individuals.
Conclusion and Public Advisory
Eram Rizvi, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Cyber Police Station, confirmed the arrests and stated that the accused are suspected of cheating others using the same method. This case highlights the increasing sophistication of phishing and phone-based cyber crimes in India.
The police advise the public to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited calls regarding financial offers, never click on links from unknown senders, and directly contact their bank through official channels to verify any such requests. This arrest serves as a warning to fraudsters and a reminder for citizens to prioritize their cyber security.
