Delhi Police have arrested the alleged kingpin of a pan-India mule account racket that laundered crores for online scammers, unravelling a sophisticated network of fraud linked to investment scams.
The accused, identified as Satyam Kulshretha alias Sam, a 28-year-old resident of Agra, was apprehended on August 29 from Sector-11 in Gurugram following weeks of technical surveillance. Police said his arrest is tied to an investment fraud case in which a victim lost nearly ₹24.5 lakh.
The case originated from a complaint lodged in April by one Goel, who reported being duped through a friendship website. A woman posing as “Neha Sharma” introduced him to an online trading platform, Spreadex Global Ltd., using WhatsApp and Telegram. Enticed by fabricated profit figures, Goel invested ₹24,49,304 before being asked for an additional ₹7.5 lakh as a processing fee. When he refused, the contact severed all communication.
Investigators traced the money through multiple bank accounts, one of which was identified as a mule account. Its holder revealed that he had handed over his banking details, ATM card and SIM card to a man called “Sam” via Telegram, who misused them for fraudulent transfers.
Also read: Online scammers target Punjab shopkeepers with fake army IDs
On Kulshretha’s arrest, police seized two mobile phones containing incriminating chats with associates. Forensic analysis revealed he was connected with more than 50 agents across India, from whom he regularly sourced mule accounts. Police described him as a “pan-India supplier” of such accounts to scam networks.
According to investigators, Kulshretha, a B.Sc. graduate from Agra University, is the son of a security guard and a homemaker. After failed stints in odd jobs and a tiffin service, he was drawn into crime by a childhood friend named Kunal. Operating under the alias “Sam”, he posed as a representative of a Chinese online gaming company, offering individuals commissions of 3.5% to 4.5% to part with their account credentials, which were then handed over to fraudsters.
“Operating under a fake identity, he misled account holders into handing over sensitive details that were later used for laundering proceeds of online scams,” a senior officer said.
Delhi Police confirmed that the recovered mobile phones were used to coordinate these fraudulent operations. Efforts are on to track down his associates and dismantle the wider network.
Follow us
