Gaming Scam Busted: Seven Arrested for Cheating BGMI Players

The Cyber Crime Cell of CID Crime in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has broken up a major online scam targeting players of the popular mobile game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).

Seven people were arrested for scamming gamers across India out of ₹2 crore by offering fake deals on in-game currency.

These scammers created fake Instagram profiles where they advertised UC coins (the in-game currency for BGMI) at prices much lower than normal. To make victims trust them, they would first send a small number of coins as promised. This initial delivery was just bait to set up their bigger scam.

After gaining trust, the criminals would contact victims claiming their gaming accounts had been reported and were about to be banned. They pressured worried players into sending more money to supposedly fix these fake problems, promising refunds that never came.

All payments were collected through QR codes shared on WhatsApp, but victims never received the promised coins or their money back.

Police conducted a raid at a house in Palanpur, located in the Banaskantha district, where they arrested seven individuals, most between 19 and 22 years old.

During the raid, authorities collected important evidence including 13 mobile phones, 14 bank passbooks, 40 checkbooks, 88 debit/credit cards, and ₹1.5 lakh in cash. According to Talkesport, technical analysis showed the group had been operating across 21 different states in India.

The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) had received 39 complaints from 14 states that were linked to the bank accounts and phone numbers used by this gang. Investigators discovered the scammers had used 25 different bank accounts, which showed transactions totaling ₹2.11 crore during 2024-25.

The accused now face serious charges under Section 318(4) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with digital cheating by pretending to be someone else. They also face charges under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act for identity theft and online impersonation.

Gaming amigos suggest players should only purchase in-game currency through official channels and never trust strangers offering discounts through social media. Anyone who encounters suspicious offers should report them immediately to the cybercrime portal to help prevent others from becoming victims.