Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad City Police arrested a Pune-based man for his role in an online betting fraud case in which a Secunderabad resident was allegedly cheated of ₹55 lakh through illegal gaming and cricket betting platforms.
Police identified the accused as Vishal Anil Nirmal, a resident of Pune in Maharashtra. He was arrested for allegedly luring victims with promises of easy and assured profits through online casino and cricket betting websites, projecting fake earnings to gain trust and diverting money through multiple mule bank accounts and digital payment channels.
According to the police, the case originated from a complaint filed by a 32-year-old man from Secunderabad. The complainant stated that in 2021 he received WhatsApp messages promoting online betting through a website named ANGELBET777. After initially investing ₹10,000 and receiving a small return, he believed the platform was genuine and deposited ₹10 lakh in multiple transactions during 2021. He later lost the entire amount and stopped playing.
In 2022, the accused allegedly reconnected with the complainant and convinced him to invest again, this time through another platform named GOEXCH777. Trusting the assurances, the victim transferred money between 2021 and 2025 using bank transfers, UPI IDs, cash deposit machines and QR codes across multiple betting websites. The total loss eventually rose to ₹55 lakh.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case in Crime No. 2253/2025 under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act, Sections 111(2)(b), 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, and took up investigation.
Online betting fraud racket ran through fake firms and mule accounts
Investigators said the online betting fraud was operated in an organised manner by Vishal along with his associates, including Guddu, Dweide and Suraj Bhusal alias Bokshi. Police said Vishal had earlier worked as a recovery agent in Pune and later travelled to Dubai in October 2021, where he came into contact with Suraj Bhusal, a Nepal national who introduced him to illegal betting operations using agent ID panels.
After returning to India, Vishal allegedly obtained an agent ID for GOEXCH777 by paying ₹20,000 and created a sub-website named WORLD777. Police said he attracted customers through social media advertisements and bulk WhatsApp messages, promising guaranteed profits from online casino and cricket betting games.
To run the operation, the accused allegedly created several fake shell companies and opened 57 current bank accounts using forged firm names and rubber stamps. Customers were issued betting IDs only after depositing money into these accounts. Police said he also procured a large number of SIM cards, including Indian and Dubai-based connections, to contact victims and circulate promotional messages.
According to investigators, when accounts linked to complaints were frozen through reports on the NCRP portal, the accused opened new accounts in the names of additional shell companies to continue operations. NCRP data indicated that at least 22 cyber fraud cases across India were linked to the bank accounts operated by the accused.
Police seized one laptop, 15 mobile phones, 57 cheque books, 79 SIM cards, 62 debit cards, 15 rubber stamps of shell companies and eight QR codes during the arrest. Further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and apprehend the absconding accused.
