STF cracks task-based cyber scam: Mastermind, 2 held from Bhopal; victims lured via Telegram, duped of lakhs

LUCKNOW: In a significant breakthrough against rising online financial fraud, the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh arrested three accused — including the mastermind — from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, for operating a sophisticated cyber scam.

The scam lured unsuspecting victims through social media platforms by promising handsome returns on completing fake “tasks.”The trio was arrested on Friday from Danish Nagar, Hoshangabad Road, under Bagh Sewaniya police station limits, in a joint operation with Amethi Police. Additional SP, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, who led the probe, said that the arrests followed a months-long investigation into a rapidly growing trend of task-based scams proliferating across Telegram and Facebook."Victims were invited to join private Telegram groups via fraudulent links, where they were enticed to complete small digital “tasks” in exchange for inflated financial rewards. Initial earnings were credited into fake wallets to build trust — but as victims invested more, they were trapped in an endless cycle of deposits, losing lakhs in the process," he said.The arrested accused have been identified as Shivansh Mishra (22) — the alleged mastermind, son of Shailendra Prasad Mishra, a resident of Ganeshganj, Suhagpur, Shahdol (M.P.),

and a B. Pharma student at Bhabha University, Bhopal. Ravi Singh (23) — son of Vinod Singh, also from Suhagpur, Shahdol, and a close childhood friend and classmate of Shivansh. Umashankar Tiwari (43) — maternal uncle of Shivansh, residing at South Tatya Tope Nagar, Bhopal. He played a key role in procuring bank accounts using real and forged documents.Police also seized three mobile phones used for scam coordination, 16 debit cards linked to fraudulent bank accounts, 15 cheque books, nine bank passbooks, and 359 screenshots of incriminating WhatsApp conversations related to cyber fraud.

One PAN card, one driving licence, and one IGT Solutions employee ID card were also seized.One of the complainants, Ashish Vikram Singh from Amethi, filed an FIR (No. 13/24) at the Cyber Crime Police Station, detailing how he was targeted. Ashish received a Facebook link promoting a “work-from-home reward scheme.” Upon clicking, he was added to a Telegram group where he was assigned digital tasks. After depositing ₹10,000, he received a small bonus of ₹2,512, giving the appearance of legitimacy.Encouraged, Ashish completed 28 rounds of “tasks,” seeing increasing fake rewards in his digital wallet. At one point, a balance of ₹9.13 lakh appeared in the account, and he was promised he could withdraw it after completing a final task worth Rs 3.16 lakh. But when he attempted to withdraw, he was told to deposit additional “security amounts” — first Rs 2.25 lakh, then Rs 3 lakh more, and finally Rs 6.3 lakh for "VIP access."

Ultimately, he was defrauded of Rs 13 lakh.ASP Singh said that during interrogation, Shivansh confessed that he and Ravi were recruited during a brief stint at a Bhopal call centre operated by IGT Solutions. There, they met cyber fraud recruiters — Zubair Khan, Saif Khan, and most crucially, Anil and Amit Nayar — who ran a parallel racket involving rented bank accounts. For every new bank account with full access kits (ATM card, cheque book, SIM card, login credentials), Shivansh and the team were paid Rs 15,000 and a share in the illicit earnings.They created nearly 50 bank accounts over the last year, often using forged documents or by convincing acquaintances. These accounts served as the primary money mules through which fraudulent deposits were laundered and withdrawn. Umashankar Tiwari, Shivansh’s uncle, admitted to arranging for bank accounts and delivering complete kits to his nephew, who passed them on to the Nayar brothers.Recognising a pattern in multiple such fraud complaints across Uttar Pradesh, STF cyber units were tasked by Additional Superintendent of Police Vishal Vikram Singh to intensify intelligence gathering.

Based on digital footprint tracking, technical analysis, and confidential tip-offs, a coordinated STF team — in collaboration with Amethi Police — raided the gang’s hideout in Bhopal and arrested the three accused.Police said that efforts are ongoing to apprehend Anil Nayar, Amit Nayar, and others involved in this widespread scam. Police suspect the gang has operated across at least 200 fake bank accounts in the past year, defrauding victims across states.ASP Singh said the case highlights the alarming evolution of cybercrime in India — no longer limited to phishing emails or tech support scams, but now mimicking professional reward systems, task apps, and digital wallets to dupe individuals with promises of quick money.The STF has urged citizens to remain cautious and verify any online reward-based scheme before investing time or money. The STF has appealed to potential victims of similar task frauds to come forward and file complaints as further investigation into this pan-India racket continues.