Delhi Police bust Rs 2.6 crore cyber fraud targeting SBI credit card holders, 18 arrested
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New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested 18 members of a cybercrime syndicate accused of defrauding State Bank of India (SBI) credit card holders of at least Rs 2.6 crore by misusing leaked customer data, officials said on Saturday.
The Special Cell’s Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit carried out a six-month operation, unearthing the scam that spanned multiple states. The arrested included call center employees from Delhi and Gurugram who allegedly supplied sensitive data to fraudsters.
The masterminds were identified as Ankit Rathi, Waseem and Vishal Bhardwaj, described as the syndicate’s key strategists and cash handlers. The group allegedly impersonated SBI customer care executives to trick victims into sharing One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and Card Verification Values (CVVs). These details were then used to buy electronic gift cards through travel platforms, later converted into domestic air tickets.
During the raids, police recovered 52 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards and bank details of customers.
According to officials, insiders at Teleperformance, a major call center in Gurugram, played a critical role in the fraud. Employees including Vishesh Lahori alias Paji and Durgesh Dhakad allegedly leaked sensitive client data, raising serious concerns over the firm’s security protocols.
“Employees serving in Teleperformance, Gurugram, a major call center, since 2019, had been systematically infiltrating company data for years. This alarming breach not only exposes the company’s inability to safeguard confidential information but also raises questions about the adequacy of its security protocols and monitoring systems,” a senior officer said.
Other arrested members included Rahul Vishwakarma, Pawan Bisht, Kailash Purohit alias Kabir, Himanshu Chugh alias Babu, and Ravin Saini, who were involved in phishing calls and victim targeting. Finance handlers Akhilesh Lakhotia and Harsh Chauhan allegedly converted the proceeds into cryptocurrency or cash, while another accused, Shivam Sehrawat, provided multiple SIM cards to the gang.
DCP Vinit Kumar of the IFSO unit said the crackdown had dealt a major blow to the organized cybercrime network. “This breakthrough sets a blueprint for proactive, full-cycle dismantling of cybercrime syndicate,” he said.