Cyber syndicate posing as Jal Board officials busted

In a major crackdown on cybercrime, the Delhi Police have busted a syndicate that used hacked WhatsApp accounts and a fraudulent mobile application to dupe city residents by posing as Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials. The gang allegedly sold stolen banking data through a Telegram group named ‘Baba Kismat Wale’.

According to the police, the incident came to light after a city resident filed a complaint at the Cyber police station in West District, reporting a loss of Rs 2 lakh. The victim received a WhatsApp message warning that his DJB water connection would be disconnected if he fails to update his details through a link. The message prompted him to download a malicious file named “Delhi Jal Board V4.apk”. “Once the victim installed the application and entered his banking credentials, Rs 2 lakh was siphoned off using a DriveTrack Plus Card of Hindustan Petroleum,” said Darade Sharad Bhaskar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West District).

A special investigation team was formed to probe the case. Technical analysis revealed that the fraudsters were operating from Jamtara, Jharkhand — a known cybercrime hub. The accused used compromised WhatsApp accounts to impersonate officials from the DJB, BSES and banks to gain victims’ trust.

Following the digital money trail, investigators traced the siphoned funds to a DriveTrack Plus Card created through Infibeam Payment Gateway, which was later used at several petrol pumps in Nuh, Haryana.

“The money trail and technical leads pointed to a larger operation. We discovered that the mastermind had been running a Telegram bot called ‘Baba Kismatwale’ since 2024, selling personal and banking data of citizens to cyber criminals across India,” DCP Bhaskar added.

The police have arrested two men and a minor in this connection. Investigations are underway to identify other members of the network and their associates involved in similar frauds across the country.

The authorities have urged citizens to avoid downloading APK files or clicking on links received via unsolicited messages, particularly those claiming to be from government agencies or service providers.