NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old Nepali national and another person were arrested for providing bank accounts to African nationals involved in cyber fraud, police said on Saturday.
The case came to light after a woman reported receiving a friend request on social media from someone claiming to be from the UK. They became friends, and the imposter later shifted the conversation to WhatsApp using an international number. He promised to send her expensive gifts for her birthday. Later, the imposter claimed the gifts were seized by customs and demanded Rs 1.10 lakh to release them.
The woman transferred the amount to a bank account he provided. “The account holder was tracked across Sitapuri, Dabri, Uttam Nagar, and Vasant Kunj. On June 4, Aslam (22) was arrested,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia.
During questioning, Aslam revealed he had opened the account under instructions from Nepali national Santosh Rana, who paid him Rs 5,000. Rana, arrested from Vasant Kunj, allegedly arranged fake accounts by convincing locals with commission offers.
He sold these accounts to African nationals living in areas like Mehrauli and Munirka. The accused shared ATM and bank details using online file-sharing apps or unknown agents to conceal identities.