Vadodara, Sep 18 (IANS): Vadodara Cyber Crime Police in Gujarat arrested an accused for duping a resident of Rs 1.69 lakh in a fake job case.

The police identified the accused as Muhammad Junaid Ahmed Malek, who was arrested at Ahmedabad Airport upon his return from Dubai after a Look Out Circular (LOC) notice was issued against him.

The scam began when the victim received a message offering money to complete tasks online. After registering using a link provided by the fraudsters, the victim was instructed to carry out various tasks related to online purchases, during which Rs 1.69 lakh was transferred to multiple accounts.

When the victim attempted to withdraw their earnings, the scammer stopped answering calls, leading the victim to realise they had been duped. A complaint was filed with the Cyber Crime Police which used technical and human sources to trace the fraud back to Malek, who had been residing in Dubai.

Further investigation revealed that Malek had been involved in a broader network, sourcing bank accounts and SIM cards from Indian ‘friends’ in exchange for commissions. He also collaborated with a Chinese agent in Dubai, using the accounts for fraud. According to the NCCRP portal, Malek has 23 complaints filed against him across 11 states.

An official said that the arrest is part of a larger crackdown on a Dubai-based fraud network, with 11 suspects arrested across four states. The Cyber Crime Police have issued multiple LOCs against the accused operating from abroad, and two other members of the same Dubai network were previously arrested. Further legal proceedings against Malek are underway.

A report tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier this year revealed that people in Gujarat lost Rs 156 crore due to financial cyber frauds in 2023. This was the highest amount frozen in such frauds for any Indian state, accounting for 17 per cent of the total funds under lien (frozen or suspended by banks or financial institutions) across India.