Uncovering Coordinated Investment Fraud Through Mobile Forensics
Not all financial fraud appears complex at the outset.
Some of the most effective fraud operations rely on simplicity, compartmentalisation, and victim isolation.
This case study examines how a coordinated cash-conversion fraud was executed through seemingly unrelated individuals, remaining undetected until mobile forensic correlation and link analysis revealed the hidden orchestration behind the transactions.
At a Glance
- Two unrelated individuals approached independently for cash-conversion transactions
- ₹5,00,000 digital transfers followed by ₹4,50,000 cash handovers
- Accounts frozen post-transaction, triggering independent complaints
- No visible linkage between victims at intake stage
- Common orchestrator identified through mobile forensic correlation
- Culprit identified and apprehended using ARGUS-powered analysis
Challenges
- Complaints registered as isolated incidents with no apparent overlap
- Victims had no prior relationship or shared background
- Financial activity appeared procedurally valid at surface level
- Critical evidence distributed across:
- Chats and call logs
- Images and transaction screenshots
- Device timelines
- Manual investigation methods insufficient to establish coordination
The primary challenge was determining whether these incidents represented coincidence or conspiracy.
Investigative Approach
ARGUS was deployed to perform end-to-end mobile forensic analysis across the complainants’ devices.
The investigation focused on:
- Correlating communications across independent devices
- Identifying shared contact points through link and B-party analysis
- Extracting financial intelligence embedded within images and chats
- Establishing behavioural and transactional patterns indicative of orchestration
All forensic artefacts were unified into a single investigative view, eliminating data silos.
Key Results
Cross-Case Linkage
Connected two initially unrelated complaints into a single, coherent fraud investigation.
Hidden Orchestrator Identification
Established a single individual coordinating both transactions while maintaining victim isolation.
Operational Outcome
Actionable intelligence provided to senior investigating officers, leading to successful apprehension of the accused.
Evidence Consolidation
Converted fragmented mobile artefacts into legally defensible digital evidence.
Our Customers
