Delhi Police busts e-SIM fraud module, arrests 2 from West Bengal

Delhi Police has arrested two alleged operatives in an interstate e-SIM takeover racket after a Delhi man lost around Rs 40 lakh. The case exposes how fraudsters impersonated telecom staff to seize OTP access and drain bank accounts.The case came to light after a Delhi resident reported unauthorised transfers of around Rs 40 lakh from his bank accounts following an alleged e-SIM takeover.Delhi Police has busted an interstate cyber-fraud module allegedly involved in e-SIM takeovers and arrested two key operatives from West Bengal, officers said on Thursday. Police said the two men are allegedly linked to 124 complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.The case came to light after a Delhi resident reported unauthorised transfers of around Rs 40 lakh from his bank accounts following an alleged e-SIM takeover. Investigators said the accused allegedly posed as employees of telecom service providers and contacted potential victims on the pretext of upgrading or converting their physical SIM cards to e-SIMs.The arrested men were identified as Ankit Das of Jamtara in Jharkhand and his cousin Subal Das. According to police, Ankit allegedly acted as the main technical operator by identifying victims, facilitating e-SIM activation and arranging the transfer of cheated funds, while Subal allegedly assisted in making calls and convincing victims during the fraudulent process.A senior police officer said, "Once the victim's mobile number was activated on a device controlled by the accused, they gained access to OTPs and banking-related communications and transferred money to multiple mule accounts." Police said the accused allegedly contacted around 200 potential victims daily. They also used telecom service provider-branded clothing during video calls to make the impersonation appear genuine. A total of 44 mobile phones containing multiple physical SIMs and e-SIM profiles were recovered, along with a telecom service provider-branded T-shirt and cap, the officer said.Police said Ankit had previously been booked in a cybercrime case in Faridabad in 2021. Further investigation is under way to trace the money trail in the case involving an alleged e-SIM takeover and the transfer of around Rs 40 lakh from a Delhi resident's bank accounts. - EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 13, 2026 22:32 IST