Kochi | Cyber Police on Sunday arrested a key accused allegedly involved in a Cambodia-based online fraud network that cheated a Kochi-based doctor of Rs 37 lakh through a fake online trading scheme after establishing contact through a matrimonial website, officials said.
The accused, identified as Abdu Rahman (24), a native of Thootha in Palakkad district, was arrested in Delhi, police said.
According to police, Rahman was a key member of an online fraud syndicate operating from Cambodia and was involved in various online scams targeting Indian citizens.
Police said Cambodia has emerged as a major hub for online fraud operations targeting India, with several such networks allegedly being run by Chinese nationals and employing Indians recruited through fraudulent means.
Young men and women from India are reportedly taken to countries such as Thailand and Vietnam on visiting visas and then transported by road to Cambodia, where they are employed at scam centres under the guise of jobs in online food delivery platforms and other businesses, officials said.
Police said recruits are given specialised training in carrying out online fraud.
According to the investigators, Rahman had been working at a scam centre in Cambodia since 2022.
Initially, his role involved sending messages and making calls to potential victims.
However, due to his performance in executing fraud, he was promoted to team leader by a Chinese national identified as Tian, police said.
Tian later entrusted him with recruiting people from India for the operation.
Investigators said the syndicate initially targeted victims through advertisements for online trading platforms and loan applications circulated on social media.
However, as public awareness campaigns by the government and law enforcement agencies reduced the effectiveness of such scams, the group shifted its focus to matrimonial platforms.
The accused allegedly created fake profiles of men and women on matrimonial websites and developed friendships with prospective brides and grooms, police said.
After gaining their trust, victims were persuaded to invest in online trading schemes in the name of building savings for their future together.
Police said many victims fell prey to the scam because of the promise of marriage and assurances of high returns on investments.
As part of the investigation, Kochi Cyber Police have already identified and removed more than 1,000 fake matrimonial profiles linked to such frauds.
Police said the network involved operatives from multiple countries.
Four accused had earlier been arrested in connection with the case.
Information obtained from them led investigators to uncover crucial details about the Cambodia-based fraud network, officials said.
