KOCHI: The investigation into the Rs 25-crore cyber fraud — one of the largest amounts allegedly syphoned from a single person through cybercrime in Kerala — has taken a fresh turn with the Kochi City Police cyber team probing a mysterious Jharkhand link that police suspect could be a “ghost identity” created to conceal the real operators behind the racket.
Sources said the new lead surfaced during the interrogation of Hyderabad-based businessman Satyanarayana Murthy, 36, and his aide Tyson Raju, 32, who were arrested on May 3 in connection with the case. The duo allegedly referred to a Jharkhand-based merchant during questioning, prompting investigators to examine whether the person actually exists or is merely a virtual identity used to divert the probe and mask the money trail.
Senior police officers familiar with the investigation said detailed verification is under way to establish the authenticity of the alleged suspect.
“At present, it is only an input received during interrogation. We are examining whether such a person exists physically or whether it is a fabricated identity created as part of the laundering network. We are not ruling out either possibility,” a senior officer said.
Investigators believe the case points to the existence of a highly layered cybercrime and money laundering structure operating across states. Police suspect the network used multiple intermediary accounts, digital identities and proxy account holders to route and absorb the proceeds of the fraud.
According to officials, the fraud was executed through a fake online trading platform promoted via social media advertisements promising high returns on share trading investments. The victim, an Ernakulam-based businessman, allegedly transferred the amount in multiple transactions to a network of bank accounts controlled by the accused and their associates.
The probe had earlier revealed that a substantial portion of the money was first routed through accounts linked to Tyson Raju before being integrated into business transactions allegedly connected to Murthy.
Police officers said cybercrime syndicates increasingly rely on such invisible or unverifiable “ghost” identities to complicate investigations. In many cases, operatives communicate only through encrypted digital platforms and may never meet physically, making identification extremely difficult.
“There is also a possibility that those involved in the racket themselves may not know the real identities of other members. These networks often function through virtual communication and layered financial routing,” an officer monitoring the case said.
Cyber forensic teams have begun analysing banking transactions, communication records and electronic devices seized during the investigation to trace digital footprints linked to the alleged Jharkhand entity. Officials said the findings could help determine whether the suspect has any genuine presence in financial or telecom records.
Meanwhile, Murthy and Tyson Raju were on Tuesday produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Ernakulam after questioning and were remanded. Police sources indicated that further arrests are likely as the probe expands beyond Kerala and Telangana, with the mysterious Jharkhand angle adding a new layer of intrigue to one of the state’s most significant cyber fraud investigations.