Police busts UPI hijack scam, two arrested

NEW DELHI: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested two cyber fraudsters, including a former Ola foods manager for a UPI hijack scam.

The police were informed about the scam through a complaint registered at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

The accused were identified as Gagan (25), a resident of Nilothi, Delhi and Ajit Sharma (24), a resident of Nihal Vihar, Delhi. According to the police, the duo orchestrated a scheme that involved gaining unauthorized access to mobile banking applications on stolen or lost phones and siphoning off lakhs of rupees.

The case was registered under an FIR with sections 318(4) BNS, after a complaint was filed regarding unauthorized withdrawals from a victim’s Canara Bank account.

The incident came to light when Mr. Paswan, a resident of Swaroop Nagar, Delhi, reported losing his Realme 9i mobile phone on November 8, 2024, while returning home from a local market.

After securing a new SIM card on November 12, 2024, he received notifications of unauthorized transactions, resulting in a loss of Rs 20 lakh. Upon filing a complaint via the NCRP Portal on November 15, 2024, an investigation

was initiated.

A team led by Inspector Raman Kumar Singh, SHO of the Cyber Crime Police Station, Outer North District, was formed to probe the matter.

The team, supervised by ACP Operations, Dinesh Kumar, and Addl. DCP-II, Rajeev Kumar Ambasta, analysed call records and banking data linked to suspicious mobile numbers.

Raids were conducted across multiple locations, including Vrindavan and Delhi, leading to the identification and eventual arrest of Gagan and Ajit.

The suspects, linked to over 100 UPI fraud cases, exploited stolen phones by resetting UPI PINs and transferring funds. Gagan, a B.Tech dropout, manipulated devices, while Ajit, a former Ola Foods Manager, handled finances.

Police recovered stolen phones, fraudulent accounts, and Rs 1.05 lakh. Investigations continue.