Mumbai Man Arrested in China-Linked Online Trading Scam
Fake Aditya Birla investment scheme dupes Hyderabad investor of ₹32 lakh
- 21-year-old accused arrested for running fake online trading operation
- Scam used Aditya Birla Group’s name to lure investors
- Money converted into cryptocurrency and sent to Chinese handler
- Gang linked to 12 cyber fraud cases across eight states
GG News Bureau
Hyderabad, 18th Dec: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police on Wednesday arrested a Mumbai-based man for running an online trading scam with direct links to a Chinese national and cheating a city-based investor of ₹32 lakh.
The accused, identified as 21-year-old Ansari Mohammed Umar Murad, alias Umar, allegedly posed as part of a fake investment network that misused the name of the Aditya Birla Group to lure unsuspecting investors through social media advertisements. Victims were drawn into WhatsApp groups operated by fake “trade advisors” and encouraged to invest through bogus trading applications and websites promising unusually high returns on stocks and IPOs.
According to the police, the Hyderabad investor was shown fabricated profits on a fake trading app to gain confidence. “Umar was in direct contact with a Chinese national through Telegram. As per his instructions, the cheated money was converted into USDT cryptocurrency and transferred to crypto wallets shared by the Chinese handler,” officials said.
Investigators revealed that nearly ₹50 lakh was routed in this manner using crypto dealers and multiple digital wallets. The funds were moved through bank accounts arranged on a commission basis to avoid detection.
Earlier, two other accused—Rishi Thushar Arothe from Gujarat and Inamdar Vinayaka Rajendar—were arrested in connection with the same case. Police said the gang is involved in at least 12 cyber fraud cases across eight states, including Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
During the arrest, police seized mobile phones and a laptop containing Telegram chats and cryptocurrency transaction records that establish links with the Chinese national. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the racket and trace the flow of funds.
