Delhi Police busts Pan-India mule account racket kingpin

New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a key operative alleged to be a nationwide supplier of mule bank accounts used by online scammers to launder stolen money.

The accused, identified as Satyam Kulshretha alias Sam, a resident of Agra, was apprehended from Sector-11 in Gurugram on August 29 after technical surveillance led investigators to his location. His arrest is connected to a major online investment scam that defrauded a victim of nearly Rs. 24.5 lakhs, said the police.

According to the police, the case originated from a complaint filed by Goel on April 9. As per the FIR, the victim was targeted in November 2024 by a woman identifying herself as “Neha Sharma” on a friendship website. Posing as a Gurugram resident, she convinced him to invest through a platform called Spreadex Global Ltd. on WhatsApp and Telegram.

Lured by false promises of high returns, Goel transferred Rs. 8 lakhs on January 15, 2025. The app soon showed an artificial profit of Rs. 1,00,000, which enticed him to invest more. He subsequently transferred additional sums totalling Rs. 24,49,304. The scam was revealed when he was asked for further Rs. 7.5 lakhs as a processing fee to withdraw his funds, and “Neha” ceased all communication.

During the investigation, police traced the siphoned money to various bank accounts. One such account was identified as a “mule account,” whose holder disclosed that he had handed over his account details, ATM card, and SIM to a person named ‘Sam’ contacted via Telegram. Sam had allegedly misused the account for fraudulent transactions.

Upon his arrest, two mobile phones containing incriminating WhatsApp and Telegram chats with his associates were recovered. Analysis of his phone revealed that Kulshretha was in touch with over 50 agents across India from whom he regularly procured and supplied mule accounts, marking him as a pan-India supplier for online scammers.

Investigation into his background reveals that Kulshretha, a B.Sc. graduate from Agra University, is the son of a security guard and a homemaker. After several small jobs, he started a tiffin service that failed. Following this business loss, he was introduced to the crime by a school friend, Kunal, who suggested arranging bank accounts for scammers on a commission basis, said the police.

Operating under the fake name ‘SAM’, he posed as a representative of a Chinese online gaming company on messaging platforms. He lured individuals by offering commissions of 3.5% to 4.5% to collect their bank account details under false pretences. These accounts were then handed over to his associates for use in fraudulent transactions, said the police.

The Delhi Police have confirmed the recovery of the two mobile phones used in the commission of the crime and are making efforts to apprehend his other associates.

(Source: ANI)