'51 Game' - UP Police busts online real money gaming fraud racket | MQR used as Pay-Ins

Azamgarh, 08 May 2026

A 27-year-old from Bihar was arrested yesterday for defrauding ₹9.25 lakh through an online gaming app called “51GAME.” The arrest seems routine until you read how he did it: fake merchant QR scanners and a network of mule bank accounts.

The case, registered as FIR No. 01/2025 at Azamgarh Cyber Crime Police Station, was initially booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 — including provisions for cheating, criminal breach of trust, identity theft, and cyber fraud. Additional charges under BNS Section 317(2) were later incorporated.

According to the official press release, the fraud was perpetrated through the fake online gaming platform “51GAME.” The complainant, Manoj Yadav of Azamgarh, reported losing ₹925,000 after being lured into the scheme. Police say the accused, operating with accomplices, used counterfeit merchant QR code scanners and fraudulent bank accounts to siphon funds, launder money, and distribute proceeds to co-conspirators. Investigators also uncovered that Vijay manufactured and supplied fake QR scanners under the guise of legitimate merchant and firm operations.

How the fraud worked:

1. 1. Victim Manoj Yadav was lured into “51GAME” and cheated of ₹9,25,000.
2. 2. Money was routed through multiple accounts, withdrawn in cash, and distributed among associates.
3. 3. Banking Abuse: The accused created fake merchant QR codes in the name of bogus shops and firms. These QR scanners were used personally and supplied to other gang members.
4. 4. Police recovered 2 mobile phones and ₹1900 cash. The rest had already vanished into the banking system.

He was booked under BNS sections 318(4), 319(2), 317(2) and IT Act 66C/66D.

The Police Team who worked to dismantle the betting syndicate:

1. Insp. Vibha Pandey – Cyber Crime Police Station
2. Sub-Inspector Yogendra Prasad
3. Constable Sabhajeet Maurya
4. Constable Vikas Kumar Yadav
5. Constable Sanjay Kumar – Cyber Crime Police Station, Azamgarh District.

Policy / enforcement suggestions | MQR

Merchant QR of Banks are largely abused in betting and gambling infrastructure for accepting deposits. Transaction monitoring and onboarding team may put velocity checks and geographic distribution checks on the product to contain the abuse.

If a gaming site asks you to pay via a random QR code or promises huge returns on "betting," it’s likely a trap. Scammers rely on the fact that once you send that money through a "merchant" scan, it becomes very hard to get back.