New Delhi: IFSO Unit of Delhi Police Special Cell has summoned actor Rhea Chakraborty on October 9, 2024 to join the investigation in the Hibox app alleged scam case. A case of fraud amounting to 500 crores through the HIBOX app has emerged. In newer updates around the case, Delhi Police has summoned Bollywood star Rhea Chakraborty.
She has been called for questioning on October 9. Earlier, the police had sent notices to four social media influencers, including YouTuber Elvish Yadav, regarding this case. However, none of them appeared for questioning. Now, the police will send notices to Elvish and all others once again.
What Happened
HIBOX is a mobile application that was part of a larger fraud scheme. Through this app, HIBOX lured innocent people into investing with the help of social media influencers and YouTubers. The accused promised investors guaranteed daily returns of 1% to 5%, which could accumulate to 30% to 90% monthly.
On August 16, 2024, the IFSO unit received 29 complaints alleging that various social media influencers and YouTubers, including Saurav Joshi, Abhishek Malhan (@Fukra Insaan), Purv Jha, Elvish Yadav, Bharti Singh, Hars Limbachiya, Lakshay Chaudhary, Aadarsh Singh, Amit (@Crazy XYZ), and Dilraj Singh Rawat (@Indian Hacker) promoted the HIBOX application and encouraged investors to invest their money in it.
A case was registered on August 20, 2024, at the Special Cell police station. During the investigation of the FIR, it was revealed that a case against HIBOX had already been filed in the Northeast district of Cyber Delhi, where similar fraud had been committed against nine victims. This case was also assigned to the IFSO for investigation. As the inquiry progressed, 488 more similar fraud cases were linked on the NCRP portal.
Given the severity of the case, the police initiated a detailed investigation, reviewing the bank accounts through which money was transferred via the application. It was found that investors' money was funneled into accounts via EASEBUZZ and PhonePe.
Four bank accounts were identified that were used to withdraw the fraudulently obtained money. Through technical surveillance, the accused J. Shivaram was identified and arrested. The investigation revealed that 18 crores were transferred from these accounts.
How the alleged fraud happen
The investigation uncovered that the accused, J. Shivaram, deposited 18 crores of investors' money into four bank accounts of Satrulla Express Private Limited. He had leased office space in New Washermanpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, under the name of Satrulla Express Private Limited, from where the fraudulent activities were conducted.
The roles of EASEBUZZ and PhonePe are currently under investigation, as the merchant accounts operated by the fraudsters behind HIBOX were opened virtually without a verification process, bypassing RBI regulations. The involvement of employees from EASEBUZZ and PhonePe cannot be ruled out, and the investigation in this regard is ongoing.