Mother-Son Duo Held for ₹1.15 Lakh Cyber Fraud Using Fake Detective Agency Website
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Cyber East Police have arrested a mother-son duo from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly cheating a man of ₹1.15 lakh through a fake detective agency website.
The accused have been identified as Poonam Singh, 45, and her son Arnav Singh, 22. Police said the duo operated ‘SleuthIndia.com’, a fraudulent website designed to resemble the genuine detective agency website ‘SleuthsIndia.com’.
Complainant Duped While Searching for Detective Services
According to police, the case came to light after Bhanu Pratap Singh, who was searching online for detective services, came across the fake website and contacted the accused through a mobile number.
He was allegedly induced to pay ₹1.15 lakh on the pretext of availing detective and investigation services.
Police said the amount was deposited into an IDFC First Bank account maintained in Poonam Singh’s name and was later transferred to different bank accounts.
- E-FIR No. 363/2026 was registered at PS Cyber East.
- Police invoked Sections 318(4), 319(2) and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- The investigation examined the website, mobile numbers, email IDs, communication records and financial transactions.
- Police said the digital and financial leads helped trace the alleged operators to Ghaziabad.
Police Trace Accused Through Technical Surveillance
A dedicated team comprising SI Vinay Kumar, HC Devendra, Constable Vivek and Constable Aanchal was formed under the leadership of Inspector Pawan Yadav, SHO, PS Cyber East, and the supervision of ACP/Operations East District Amandeep Kaur.
Arnav Singh was found at the premises and arrested after police said evidence emerged against him. A laptop and mobile phone were seized from his possession.
Police also seized Poonam Singh’s mobile phone, which allegedly contained mobile numbers, including one used to communicate with the complainant. She was subsequently arrested.
Both Accused Sent to Judicial Custody
Both accused were produced before the court and sent to judicial custody. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the complete digital and financial network linked to the alleged offence.
Poonam Singh has one previous involvement in a case registered at PS Sarai Rohilla under Section 420 of the IPC.
Police recovered one laptop and two mobile phones for forensic examination. They advised citizens to verify the authenticity of websites, service providers, contact numbers and payment details before making advance payments.
