NEW DELHI: Two men were arrested for allegedly duping individuals by offering cheaper airline tickets through social media ads, police said on Thursday.
The scam operated through online advertisements that promised discounted air tickets, with the accused using VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls to evade detection.
According to police, victims who responded to the ads and entered their personal and payment details were either defrauded of their money or had their information misused by scammers posing as legitimate financial services. The accused have been identified as Salman Sayeed Siddiqui (50), a resident of Lajpat Nagar-2, Delhi, and Rohit Rajaram Ghanekar (29), a resident of Virar East, Maharashtra. The investigation began after a complaint was filed on November 19, 2024, regarding a fraud of `47,681.
The complainant saw an ad on social media for cheap air tickets from Delhi to Toronto and contacted the number provided in the ad. The number turned out to be a virtual mobile number. After engaging in conversation with the scammer, the victim was offered cheap tickets and was asked to provide personal details and transfer the money.