Pune man held for massive online gaming and betting fraud
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested a man from Pune, Maharashtra, in connection with an extensive online gaming and cricket betting fraud. The accused is alleged to have cheated unsuspecting individuals by promising easy financial gains through illegal betting platforms, ultimately defrauding victims of Rs 55 lakh.
The arrested individual has been identified as Vishal Anil Nirmal. Police investigations revealed that he projected fabricated profits to gain the trust of his victims before siphoning off large sums of money using multiple mule bank accounts and various digital payment modes. During the arrest, authorities seized a laptop, 15 mobile phones, 57 cheque books, 79 SIM cards, 62 debit cards, 15 shell company rubber stamps and 8 QR codes from his possession. The investigation began following a complaint from a 32 year old man from Secunderabad. The complainant stated that in 2021, he received WhatsApp messages offering lucrative returns through online betting on a website called ANGELBET777. This site hosted casino games and cricket betting, including a game known as Five Star Cricket Aviator Flight Game. Between 2021 and 2025, the complainant invested a total of Rs 55,00,000 through bank transfers, UPI IDs, cash deposit machines and QR codes across several betting websites, eventually losing the entire amount.
Following the formal complaint, a case was registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act, along with Sections 111(2)(b), 318(4), 319(2) of the BNS and Sections 3 and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act. Police stated that Vishal Anil Nirmal cheated numerous victims beyond the initial complainant. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal data indicates that at least 22 cyber fraud cases across India have been linked to the fake shell company bank accounts operated by the accused.
