Background and Timeline: The Cyber Crime Cell of Goa Police announced the arrest of a major interstate operative on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The case originated from a complaint filed by a resident of Caranzalem in Tiswadi, Goa, regarding a massive investment loss. After an in-depth technical and financial investigation that spanned several months, investigators traced the beneficiary of the crime to the capital of Kerala.

Modus Operandi: The accused used a “Corporate Front” strategy, operating through WhatsApp while posing as an employee of a fraudulent firm called “PIHU Urban Leather”. They lured the victim into investing in a fake platform named “DeepGTP Global ETF Investments,” promising Spectacularly high returns on exchange-traded funds. The victim was induced to download a malicious trading application which displayed fabricated profit data to encourage continuous, high-value transfers into “Layer 1” bank accounts.

Victims and Financial Impact: The Goa-based victim suffered a confirmed financial loss of ₹67 lakh, which was siphoned through multiple transactions in October 2025. Investigators found that one specific bank account held by the accused received ₹28 lakh of this amount directly. Further analysis linked this account to four other active cyber fraud cases reported in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Goa, with a total documented fraud value of ₹54.4 lakh.

Investigation and Agencies Involved: SP (Cyber Crime) Rahul Gupta led the technical probe, utilizing transaction mapping and digital footprint analysis. A specialized Goa Police team was dispatched to Kerala, where they successfully located and arrested the suspect with local assistance. The investigation is continuing under the supervision of PI Deepak Pednekar, focusing on identifying the high-level associates who managed the “DeepGTP” technical backend.

Arrests and Suspects: One accused individual, identified as Anuraj R., a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, was arrested and remanded to police custody. He is believed to be a key facilitator responsible for providing and managing the first layer of bank accounts used by the syndicate. Authorities are currently working to identify the “Relationship Managers” at banks who may have facilitated the creation of accounts for “PIHU Urban Leather”.

Broader Implications and Trends: This case reflects a surge in “ETF-themed Scams,” where criminals exploit the growing public interest in Exchange Traded Funds to build high-trust deception. it demonstrates the success of interstate coordination in bringing “Layer 1” beneficiaries to justice even when they are based in distant states. Authorities urged citizens to verify the SEBI registration of any firm offering “Global ETF” investments before transferring funds to private bank accounts.