Delhi Police’s South-West District Cyber Police Station has dismantled an interstate cyber fraud syndicate that was allegedly trying to trick victims into signing up for expensive gift parcels containing gold. Four suspects including a Nigerian national have been arrested in the scam.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl. DCP-II) Kumar Abhishek, the case started after a complaint was filed by a victim on March 31, 2026 claiming to have been cheated of almost ₹1.5 lakh.
The fraudsters were said to have approached the victim through WhatsApp chat and phone calls, pretending to be U.S. citizens. They gained the victim’s trust when they reported they had received a big package with gold and other goods. The victim was then asked to pay various charges, including customs clearance fees and processing costs, to receive the parcel.
Convinced that the claims were true, the complainant transferred about ₹1.5 lakh before he found out that no parcel existed and that they had fallen victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud.
After the complaint, the Cyber Police Station registered an FIR and initiated an investigation. The officers conducted extensive technical analysis, examined digital evidence, monitored financial transactions, and monitored communication records in order to identify the suspects involved.
#WATCH | Delhi | Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl. DCP-II) for the South-West District of the Delhi Police, Kumar Abhishek, says, "The Cyber Police Station team of the South-West District has busted an interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in impersonation,… pic.twitter.com/1YEmFj0MXp
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2026
The investigation involved police teams in several states. Organised raids led to the arrest of four accused from Delhi, Telangana, and Visakhapatnam. One Nigerian national is suspected of playing a key role in the operation.
Police recovered seven mobile phones which were identified as phones used in the fraud. The seized devices are now being studied for more evidence, including communication records, financial transactions, and other victim information from the seized devices or other victims of the fraud will be examined in India.
The syndicate may have targeted several people in a similar manner, police say. The investigation into the network is still underway, and investigators are now analysing digital data recovered from the devices to determine the full extent of the operation and identify more persons in the network.
In recent years, cyber frauds involving fake international gift parcels have become more common. Criminals often fake identities on social media or messaging platforms, build trust with the victims, and then demand payments on the basis of customs duties, courier charges, taxes, or legal clearances. Once the money is transferred, the fraudsters disappear.
The Delhi Police has once again called for citizens to be wary of strangers in the world of the Internet and to be cautious of those who make promises of expensive gifts, lottery winnings, or overseas parcels. People should verify those claims and not send money to strangers without proper verification, they said.
There is more investigation and legal action going on at present. Police are also investigating if the accused are connected to other interstate or international cybercrime networks.
