Gujarat man arrested for aiding fraudsters dupe Navi Mumbai resident of Rs 1.5 crore

Thane,UPDATED: Jul 10, 2026 10:26 IST

A 24-year-old man has been arrested in Gujarat for allegedly facilitating an international cyber fraud racket that duped a Navi Mumbai resident of nearly Rs 1.55 crore through a "digital arrest" scam, police said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Umang Vijaybhai Lakod, allegedly activated and smuggled over 1,000 SIM cards to Cambodia, which were used by transnational cybercriminals to target victims.

Police said the Navi Mumbai resident was threatened through fake messages and video calls by fraudsters posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials.

According to Navi Mumbai Police, the victim was targeted between March 23 and March 31 this year.

The fraudsters contacted him via WhatsApp and Signal, sending a forged Reserve Bank of India letter and a fake arrest warrant to convince him that he was under investigation. They then allegedly threatened him with imminent police action.

"The fraudsters induced panic by placing the victim under a 'digital arrest' through video calls. To 'save' him from legal consequences, they coerced him into transferring Rs 1,54,98,000 to multiple bank accounts," police said.

Following technical analysis of the WhatsApp accounts, Signal profiles and mobile numbers used in the fraud, investigators traced Lakod to Vadodara, where he was arrested on July 3. He is a resident of Amraiwadi in Ahmedabad.

Police said they recovered 347 SIM card pouches belonging to various telecom operators, three mobile phones, two debit cards, six chequebooks, a bank passbook and two Aadhaar cards from the accused.

Investigators alleged that Lakod activated the SIM cards and mobile phones used in the scam before smuggling them to Cambodia.

The probe has further revealed that he had activated and sent more than 1,000 SIM cards to Cambodia, allegedly enabling multiple cross-border cyber fraud operations.

Police have urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited messages and calls on platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and Instagram, particularly those involving fake law enforcement claims, investment opportunities or task-based job offers.

They advised victims of cyber fraud to immediately report such incidents to the nearest police station or call the national cybercrime helpline, 1930.

- Ends