No requests, no alerts, doc loses ₹70k by UPI transaction

No requests, no alerts, doc loses ₹70k by UPI transaction 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.12.2024

Ahmedabad : A seemingly routine message about a small deposit spiralled into a nightmarish ordeal for a 33-year-old doctor from Juhapura when he discovered Rs 70,000 missing from his bank account without a trace. The cyberfraud, executed through UPI, was baffling as the doctor had neither shared his banking details with anyone nor had he received any notification about the deduction. Dr Aasif Syed, who runs a clinic in Fatehwadi, discovered the fraud on Dec 7 when he received a text from his bank about a Rs 1,520 deposit. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that Rs 20,000 was missing from his account. Alarmed, he checked his Google Pay account and found that Rs 70,000 had been transferred without any transaction history or notification. Seeking answers, the 33-year-old resident of Golden Park in Juhapura, approached his bank’s central branch, where the manager informed him that the amount had been sent via UPI at 1.33pm on Dec 6. Shocked, Syed reported that he neither initiated the payment nor received any alerts about it. After contacting the cybercrime helpline, he was directed to the Sarkhej police station, where an FIR was lodged against an unknown accused under sections of the Information Technology Act for unauthorized access, computer related offenses, and identity theft. Investigation is underway to trace the fraudsters.

Secretariat staffers hit by flurry of fake int’l calls Fear Their Personal Data Hacked From Govt Records

Secretariat staffers hit by flurry of fake int’l calls Fear Their Personal Data Hacked From Govt Records 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 05.12.2024  BHOPAL 

Bhopal : Employees of the Madhya Pradesh state secretariat are receiving an alarming flurry of fake calls and missed calls from international numbers. The numbers being targeted are those registered with the govt. The employees’ union has complained about this to the general administration department. At least 60 employees have complained through the union, fearing that their database is being hacked or leaked from govt records. The employees union reported that for the past few days, a number of employees in the secretariat are receiving international calls on their mobile numbers. The employees who received the calls were asked to click on different numbers on their mobile keypad if they wanted to continue mobile service. Many employees did not answer the calls for fear of being conned. 

On Nov 19, many secretariat employees received calls simultaneously from international numbers. When the employees searched the numbers on the Internet, they found they were from the US, South Africa, Arab countries, and other countries. This has been ongoing for the past few days. On Friday, retired govt employees and pensioners al so received similar fake calls. The employees union stated that such suspicious international calls are coming only to those numbers registered with the general administration dept. 

Those employees or officials who have more than one number have received calls only on the number they provided to the govt. The officers and employees brought this complaint to the notice of the employees union. Employees fear that the data of officers and employees secured with the govt has been leaked to fraudsters.

The employees union has submitted a memorandum in this regard to the general administration dept and has demanded an inquiry into the matter. The list of numbers on which the calls have been received has also been submitted to the govt. Breaching the data secured with the govt, if it has happened, is a serious matter, the employees stated. Sudhir Nayak, president, Mantralaya Seva Adhikari/ Karmchari Sangh, said it is a serious matter and needs immediate govt attention. At least 60 employees have contacted him and complained in this regard. Similar complaints were received from pensioners too. Govt data and records must be protected from being compromised, he added. 

Secretariat staff attend fire safety drill Bhopal : A fire drill was conducted at the state secretariat recently. The employees were briefed on how to use fire extinguishers and react in case of a fire incident. The drive was conducted under the supervision of Vallabh Bhawan chief security officer, Avinash Sharma. A similar drive was conducted in Satpura Bhawan and Vindhyanchal Bhawan recently. Employees were briefed on how to attend to those injured in the fire until medical assistance arrives. Close to a hundred employees were present when the fire personnel briefed them during the fire drill. Vallabh Bhawan I building caught a major fire on Mar 9. The alertness has been stepped up after the incident.

Doctor loses ₹76.5 lakh in online trading scam

Doctor loses ₹76.5 lakh in online trading scam

He was enticed by promises of high returns on investments.

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI 09.11.2024 

In yet another case of online fraud, a government doctor fell victim to scammers, losing ₹76.5 lakh after being enticed by promises of high returns on investments.

The victim, an Associate Professor at a Government Medical College, had transferred the money to what appeared to be an online trading platform for purchasing stocks from well-known companies. He realised that he had been deceived only when he attempted to withdraw funds.

According to police sources, Dr. Ramesh (name changed onrequest) came across an advertisement, offering training and guidance in online trading, on YouTube. It led him to join a WhatsApp community group, where several members presented themselves as investors.

Online trading classes

In the first few days, the group focused on online trading basics, with members frequently posting screenshots of their investments and profits. The group’s administrator, known as Diwakar Singh, recommended stocks for both intra-day and long-term investments.

Once the suspects sensed that Dr. Ramesh had gained confidence in the community, they instructed him to open an account on a specific website, promising a 30% profit from investments in Indian and U.S. stocks.

Following a link provided by the suspects, Dr. Ramesh registered an account and began transferring money from his bank accounts to the website. The scammers claimed his funds would be invested in high-return stocks, even providing a list of companies and IPOs for credibility. Nearly all of the funds were transferred during the first three weeks of October this year.

On October 22, when Dr. Ramesh attempted to withdraw ₹50 lakh from his account, the transaction was declined. Upon inquiry, he was told that a ₹50-lakh fee was required by the “Qualified Institutional Buyers Association” to process withdrawals. “That’s when I sensed something was wrong. I realised that I could not access my funds, and that I had been systematically lured into an online trading scam,” Dr. Ramesh toldThe Hindu.

After he reported the incident, a case was registered under the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Tamil Nadu police are now working to locate suspects in North India, where the funds were reportedly transferred and withdrawn. A senior police officer handling cybercrimes in the State said Dr. Ramesh’s case was yet another example of unsuspecting individuals losing money to scammers.

“Once the money is transferred, it is siphoned off in less than two hours. In a recent case, ₹1.18 crore transferred to one such fraud account was withdrawn in about 250 transactions across India. The accused were operating from Southeast Asian countries,” the officer said.

Man held for ‘digital arrest’ scam

Man held for ‘digital arrest’ scam 

Sindhu.Kannan@timesofindia.com 30.10.2024

Chennai : Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned people against falling prey to scamsters who threaten people with ‘digital arrest,’ an Ambattur resident lost ₹1.05 crore to fraudsters who used the ‘digital arrest’ method. The account to which the money had been transferred in three instalments, however, belonged to a Velachery resident K Sathishkumar, who floated a fake firm, opened a savings bank account and then sold it to cyber fraudsters. 

The Avadi cybercrime police traced Sathishkumar and seized three cell phones, seven credit cards, and ₹8,000. According to a complaint from Rameshkumar of Ambattur, he received a video call from a man who claimed to be a CBI officer. He told Rameshkumar that his name had been linked to a pending money-laundering case wherein Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra was the main culprit. It may be noted that Kundra was accused of creating and distributing porn films through apps and was arrested in Sept 2021. He is currently out on bail. Giving these details, the fake CBI officer told Rameshkumar that he was under ‘digital arrest’ and that he had to transfer the cash deposit in him bank accounts to several other accounts belonging to the ‘CBI’. 

He said the money would be returned to him in two hours if the ‘law enforcement agencies’ found him innocent. Till the ‘verification’ is complete, he should not reveal his ‘digital arrest’ even to his family members, he was warned. Believing the words, Rameshkumar transferred a total of ₹1.05 crore in three instalments. As there was no more communication from the other side, Ramesh Kumar realised that he had been cheated. He then lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) and approached the Avadi cybercrime wing. A team headed by cybercrime inspector Praveen Kumar tracked the account that belonged to Sathishkumar of Velachery. 

Inquiries revealed that he floated a fake firm in his name, opened a 

savings account and sold it to the fraudsters. Only on Monday, Prime Minister Modi asked people to be vigilant against “digital arrests” and said investigative agencies never contact individuals over phone or video call for such matters. The Prime Minister also said probe agencies were working with the states to deal with the issue.

‘Chinese national behind digital arrest racket’

‘Chinese national behind digital arrest racket’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 26.10.2024 LUCKNOW 

Lucknow : Following the arrest of two Nepalese nationals in connection with a digital fraud case in the city, the UP special task force (STF) said that a Chinese national could be the mastermind of the gang. The STF had arrested two persons, Saroj Khanal and Shivram Rimal, and found during preliminary investigation that the duo worked under a Chinese national, identified as Ben. According to DySP, STF, Deepak Kumar Singh, the arrested Nepalese suspects confessed that Ben lured them into financial fraud. He added that Khanal and Rimal had been executing digital arrest frauds throughout India for the last one years. Sources in the STF said that preliminary findings indicated that Ben created a network of operatives to expand his illegal operations across multiple states in India. During interrogation, Khanal and Rimal revealed that Ben operated alongside Chakre Milan, a prominent gangster from Nepal. Milan and his associates are known for involvement in illegal activities across Nepal and India

Blank screen? Might be a sextortion call

Blank screen? Might be a sextortion call 

NEW TRICK Dwaipayan.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 20.10.2024

Kolkata : Sextortion calls have become more sinister this festive season, said cops, with conmen having changed their modus operandi making it difficult for the potential victim to identify that the caller had planned to trap him.

 “Earlier, the moment such calls were made, the potential victim would see scantily clad or naked women at the other end. Ever since we began our awareness drive, citizens mostly now immediately end the video call giving less time to the accused to capture the video of the victim and use it for extortion. Now, when a victim picks up the call, he sees a blank or black screen. It takes him a few seconds to understand what was going on in his screen, leave aside ascertaining it to be a fraud call. This allows enough time for the accused to capture his image and superimpose it and then ask for extortion money,” said a senior cyber cell officer. 

Lalbazar on Saturday took to X platform to warn citizens on the changing modus operandi. Sources said at least four complaints in this regard have been received though no one till now has ended up paying the extortion money. A senior cop has drawn up a detailed list of do’s and don’ts for the city’s netizens.

MBA student conned of ₹99,000

MBA student conned of ₹99,000 

Chennai : An MBA student who transferred ₹99,000 to a scamster has complained to the Seven Wells Police Station saying he was conned. Police said the Sai Saran, 22, a resident of Kondithope received a call from a man, who told him that the parcel he sent contained drugs. He said Sai Saran was involved in unaccounted cash transactions. The caller asked him to transfer ₹99,000 to a UPI ID to prove his innocence. After he transferred the cash, the conman disconnected the call. Sai realised he was conned and lodged a police complaint

Fraudsters hold Mala Parvathy in ‘virtual’ arrest for an hour

Fraudsters hold Mala Parvathy in ‘virtual’ arrest for an hour 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  15.10.2024 

Kochi : Actor Mala Parvathy on Monday claimed that fraudsters, pretending to be Mumbai police officers, held her in a virtual arrest for nearly an hour. They told her that a courier in her name was held back, but she managed to avoid the scam by acting quickly. Parvathy said the incident occurred when she was in Madurai for the shoot of a new movie. “I received a call around 10am. A man identified himself as Vikram Singh spoke to me and he said a courier was held back. They claimed that my Aadhaar card was misused to send an illegal package to Taiwan. When I asked him for more details, they asked for my address and bank account details. They said the package contained my passports, bank cre- dit cards, a laptop, and 200 grams of MDMA. They also sent an ID card claiming they were from the Mumbai crime branch and held me on a live call,” she said. 

Parvathy said it was a WhatsApp call and when she checked the ID card on Google, she realised that it was fake. Her manager also alerted her that it was a trap. Meanwhile, Parvathy is yet to lodge any complaint with the police regarding the incident.

Beware! Don’t get ‘arrested’ by scammers CYBER THREAT Digital Detention: 24 Cases Reported In City This Yr So Far

Beware! Don’t get ‘arrested’ by scammers CYBER THREAT Digital Detention: 24 Cases Reported In City This Yr So Far 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  BHOPAL  15.10.2024

 Bhopal : Imagine this: You’re going through your daily routine, when out of the blue you receive a call from a “cop”, who tells you that you're under investigation for a serious crime or that a family member has been arrested for a crime. Panic sets in. You try to jog your memory— what did you do wrong? Before you can wrap your mind around anything, the caller says you’ve been linked to a money laundering or a drug trafficking case, and if you don't pay a fi ne or cover legal fees immediately, an arrest warrant will be issued. 

This is the new terrifying cyber-crime, the ‘digital arrest’ scam, which is catching people off guard and stealing their hard-earned money. Around two dozen cases of digital arrest were reported with the Bhopal cyber crime branch this year, including one in which a retired Navy Commodore was kept under digital arrest at his home by cyber-criminals posing as senior officers of Mumbai police. The retired official was duped of around Rs 68.49 lakhs. Senior police officers say that the situation is much worse as many cases are still not reported to the police, especially those cases where in people do not fall into the trap of fraudsters.

A senior officer said that a person falls into the trap of cybercriminals either through text messages on WhatsApp or Telegram, or through a phone call. People should think before making any decisions while talking to a stranger over a phone call, and they should verify whether the information is true, the official said. He said that the Bhopal cybercrime branch and the state cybercrime headquarters issue advisories  from time to time, alerting people that there is no legal provision for ‘digital arrest’, and citizens should remain cautious of misleading messages, particularly those related to bank accounts, insurance, and pensions. 

A few months ago, an exNavy officer was allegedly held under ‘digital arrest’ at his home for two days and was duped of Rs 68.49 lakh by cybercriminals. They concocted a false story that a parcel carrying drugs (MDMA) was booked from Mumbai to Taiwan using the officer’s Aadhaar Card. The fraudsters impersonated officials of an international courier agency and DCP (crime branch) of Mumbai police. They threatened to frame him in a drug smuggling and money laundering case and siphoned the money. They instructed him to post ‘present sir’ on the Skype video call every half an hour. He could not sleep for the next 48 hours. However, there have been two cases, which showcase how people managed escaped this scam with their awareness and presence of mind.

Recently, an Awadhpuribased professional, whose son studies in an institute in another state, received a phone call from a cybercon in which the fraudster threatened him, claiming they had kidnapped his son and demanded a ran som. The man was left shocked and immediately disconnected the fraudster's phone. As he called his son's mobile number, the same fraudster picked up the call and threatened him again. The man was worried but did not lose his calm. He immediately called his son's college principal and found out that his son was safe in the college canteen.

In another case, cybercriminals tried to dupe the parents of a youth, who hails from Dehradun and studies at a national institute in Bhopal. The accused threatened his parents, claiming they had kidnapped their son. As the youth’s father tried calling his son’s number, it was unreachable. He then called the college and found that his son was safe. Both cases have been reported to the police. A senior officer said that the scam is spreading rapidly, with cons preying on the fear that people have for law enforcement and govt agencies.

These criminals have refined their approach, using modern technology and psychological manipulation to intimidate their victims into making hasty financial decisions. Additional DCP (crime branch) Shailendra Singh Chouhan said that cybercriminals target people only through phone calls or messages. People should verify whatever the fraudsters are claiming over unknown phone calls and messages and take further action. They should not act in a hurry.

This Diwali, stay safe from scams too. Fake Sites Target Shoppers

This Diwali, stay safe from scams too.   Fake Sites Target Shoppers 

Ram.Sundaram@timesofindia.com 07.10.2024

Chennai : Supreme Court may have banned retailing of firecrackers online, but social media is awash in advertisements by fraudulent websites targeting Diwali shoppers. These scammers offer fireworks, at ₹2,000-₹3,000 per piece, with discounts of 80%-95%, showing videos of branded sky crackers and fancy fireworks. “A customer placing an order is given a UPI ID, QR code, or bank details to make an online payment and assured crackers will be delivered within a week. When questioned on delayed deliveries, the scamsters cite high demand. Within a few days, they shut the websites, switch off contact numbers, and vanish,” said Raja Chandrasekaran, President of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders

In several cases, scammers not only disappear with the customers’ money, but also drain their accounts. “Many customers, hoping to recover their money, approach us for help. However, these sellers are not legitimate and don't even have a GST number, let alone the required fire licences,” he said. Some fraudsters deliver inferior quality firecrackers instead of branded ones that are promised. Madurai resident R Chidambaram who was scammed into paying ₹6,000 said, “What I received was nothing like what they advertised.” Such rampant fraud has forced GST authorities in Madurai to conduct surprise inspections. In one instance, they seized a truckload of substandard fire crackers without proper documentation. Legitimate fireworks traders, such as N Elangovan, blame licence delays for pushing customers towards online scams. 

“Issuing timely licences will let traders sell locally, reducing fraud,” he said. Permanent licence renewals in districts such as Tiruvallur, Cuddalore and Ariyalur have been pending for weeks. Temporary licences in places such as Madurai and Coimbatore close just a week before Diwali. “By then, quality firecrackers from Sivakasi, the state's manufacturing hub, would be sold out, leaving traders with limited business opportunities and buyers vulnerable to online scams,” he said

Retd professor learns ₹1.8cr lesson after e-trading fraud

Retd professor learns ₹1.8cr lesson after e-trading fraud

 Ahmed.Ali@timesofindia.com 29.09.2024

 Mumbai : The cyber police in the city solved a case of online fraud and arrested two businessmen from Gujarat, in which a retired professor was deceived into investing in the stock market. The fraudsters persuaded the professor to join a ‘VIP Privilege WhatsApp group’, where they demonstrated a substantial profit of 30%, encouraging her to invest a total of Rs 1.80 crore. The North Region Cyber Cell has apprehended two businessmen, Gujan Baisania (36) and Saurabhkumar Sanghani from Gujarat, who had provided their bank accounts to the fraudster gang in exchange for a percentage of profits. 

Baisania and Sanghani run chemical and cosmetic manufacturing units in Gujarat. DCP Datta Nalawade and senior inspector Suvarna Shinde of North Region Cyber Cell said they have frozen the account of Sanghani, which has an amount of Rs 58 lakh. The gang had used these businessmen’s accounts to commit 33 offences in India, amounting to a sum of more than Rs 25 crore. The case came to light after a 71-year-old who retired from her position as a professor and lives on her pension encountered the scammers in Feb 2024 through an advertisement on Facebook  related to share market investment. 

She joined a WhatsApp group named ICICI Securities VIP 11, which was managed by an individual posing as CIO Rajiv Ambani. The group, which had around 65 members, appeared to be legitimate, even showcasing daily trading tips and profits from group members. Rajiv Ambani claimed to be a stock market analyst with 40 years of experience and assured group members they could profit from his trading advice. He charged a monthly fee of Rs 1,000 to provide investment tips. The complainant transferred this amount to a bank account provided by Ambani and received trading tips. Later, Ambani convinced the complainant to open an institutional share trading account that would supposedly yield a 30% profit.

His assistant, Laxmi, helped her download two fraudulent apps, MXICICER and EICICRE, which were designed to mimic the layout of genuine trading platforms. Under their influence, the complainant invested large sums from March to April 2024, with total investment of Rs 1.80 crore. To her shock, when she tried to withdraw the displayed profit of Rs 20.50 crore, she was asked to pay additional taxes. 

At this point, she realised she had been duped and filed a complaint with the cyber police. A case has been registered. “She has provided evidence of the scam, including screenshots of the fake apps, bank transactions, and her conversations with the fraudsters on WhatsApp. We are working to track down Rajiv Ambani, Laxmi, and others involved and the creators of the fraudulent apps,” said investigating officer Kiran Aher. Police have urged the public to be cautious of such scams and to verify before investing any money.

New scam exploits poor in city suburbs Fraudsters Open Fake Accounts, Use Offices

New scam exploits poor in city suburbs Fraudsters Open Fake Accounts, Use Offices

Vivek.Narayanan@timesofindia.com 

Chennai : Scammers operating from Cambodia and Laos have found a novel way to deceive private banks and open bank accounts for transferring money from online scams. They use unorganised co-working spaces to set up fake offices and hoodwink banks. The cyber crime wing of the central crime branch (CCB) attached to the city police registered more than 250 cases between Jan and Aug this year. Topping the list are 89 cases dealing with online trading and 45 pertaining to the FEDEX scam. Thousands of young people, including women, from India are sold by illegal job agents to Chinese-operated scam companies in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Hundreds of them are from Tamil Nadu, particularly the western and southern regions, with a few from Chennai. 

These scamsters have agents in Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, who source SIM cards and open multiple bank accounts. They target youngsters mainly from areas such as Thiruvottiyur, Ambattur, Tiruvallur and Vellore. These youngsters are promised ₹20,000 for an account. The agents first open GST accounts in their names and then take them to a local co-working office in the city using a day pass. “They fix a banner of the fake company. An outsourced person appointed by the bank comes for verification and the bank account is opened. Apart from co-working spaces, commercial spaces in suburbs that are available for rent are also used for this scam,” said a police source. The details of the accounts are sent to scamsters through message-sharing platforms.

 This process is used to transfer the money stolen through online scams to different parts of the country. The agents often receive instructions from their handlers abroad on messagesharing platforms, specifying which bank should be selected every day. “When police catch the fake account holders, they usually do not provide any information about the agents. We arrested a few  persons in Thiruvottiyur recently. Subsequently, the number of people agreeing to open the bank accounts have reduced drastically,” added the officer. An official of a leading private bank in the city said that of late, bank officials directly visit the applicant's place for verification. “We have also been creating awareness among elderly persons on different forms of online scams,” said the official.

CYBER CRIME

 

FINANCIAL DISTRESS LEADS TO RISE IN LOAN APP SCAMS

 

SENIOR CITIZEN LOSES RS. 17 LAKS IN SIM DEACTIVATION CON

 

Fraud portal of online shopping busted

 Fraud portal of online shopping busted

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara: Two persons, who used the mobile phone number of an unsuspecting citizen to carry out fraud worth lakhs of rupees, have been arrested by the cybercrime sleuths in the city. The accused duo is suspected to have conned many people in the past, the police said.

According to the cybercrime sleuths, Dhaval Patel, a resident of Atladara, had filed a complaint against unidentified persons some months ago. Patel told the police that his wife Nidhi started getting innumerable calls on her number from many people across the country. The callers demanded the products they had bought from a website blazeshop. live.

“Investigations revealed that the accused had posted Nidhi’s mobile number on the website. The website accepted payments but didn’t deliver the products. The buyers used to call on Nidhi’s number for inquiry,” the police said. Patel as well as his wife were unaware that her number was being misused.

The cybercrime sleuths then contacted the customers who had bought products from the website through online payment. It led them to a bank account where the money transferred by customers was deposited. “The bank account was in the name of Gaurav Brahmbhatt, a resident of Anand, and the registered mobile number linked to the bank account was in the name of Nikunj Dave, a resident of Valsad,” the police added.

The bank account had Rs 5. 35 lakh in deposits. The cops tracked down the duo’s location and arrested them. Investigating officials said that the duo must have siphoned a big amount by defrauding dozens of persons by using the fake shopping website. “We are trying to ascertain if they have committed similar frauds in the past apart from recovering the money they siphoned from unsuspecting customers,” the police said.

Prime accused held in fraud case involving Rs 70 lakhs worth government funds of Vellore BDO

Prime accused held in fraud case involving Rs 70 lakhs worth government funds of Vellore BDO

The beneficiaries, who went by the name of Vijayan and Jayakumar, were found to be receiving Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 20 lakhs respectively to their current accounts.

Published: 03rd January 2022 12:19 PM |

By Shyamsundar N

Express News Service

VELLORE: After almost seven weeks of investigation, Vellore Cyber Crime police arrested the prime accused in a financial fraud case involving government funds. The accused allegedly siphoned off Rs 70 lakh from the Block Development Office (BDO) in Katpadi by illegally accessing its portal.

On November 15, a BDO staff noticed something 'fishy' where two transactions under the 'noon-meal' salary category were made to two beneficiaries, successfully clearing the verification process without officials' knowledge.

The incident was reported to the police the same day and on November 17, Katpadi BDO Raghu lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime police unit.

A preliminary probe launched by investigation officer J Abarna and the team found that the transactions were made by some fraudsters.

The beneficiaries, who went by the name of Vijayan and Jayakumar, were found to be receiving Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 20 lakhs respectively to their current accounts.

"We checked with the banks and found that there was a name mismatch in both the accounts. Due to the mismatch, the amount processed to Jayakumar account was frozen. However, Vijayan received it and before the bank froze his account, he managed to withdraw Rs 35,000, " investigation officer, Abarna, told TNIE

Real names come to light

The cybercrime unit formed a 12-member team including computer experts. During the investigation, the real names of the account holders were identified as Prabu and Poovarasan.

A police officer, who was part of the investigation team, said Prabu was running an e-service centre opposite Tirupattur bus stand. "Firstly, we identified three people to be involved in the crime. Prabu and Jeeva, who works at Prabu's centre and Poovarasan who is Jeeva's friend. Till that point, we didn't know another man existed and that he would turn out to be the prime accused. He was the main reason behind the whole fraudulent transaction," Abarna said.

Before the crime, he introduced himself as government staff and first approached Jeeva who was at the centre at that time. He said he can get them government funds and to do that he needed some 30% commission. To prove his words, he accessed the government portals with a unique ID and password, the investigation officer said.

Jeeva took this to Prabu who agreed to it and so did his friend Poovarasan. Further probe revealed the identity of the fourth person as Sampath Kumar. Using Call Detail Record (CDR), CCTV footage, and other intelligence, we tracked him from Vellore to Tirupattur, Pochampalli, and Erode, Abarna said.

During the investigation, we found that Sampath Kumar was not his real name and that he used it to deliberately hide his identity. He was identified as Mohan (24), a computer operator and a temporary staff at the BDO, Mecheri in Salem district.

There, he learned the unique ID and password of government staff and used this ID to commit the financial fraud after the staff was transferred to Katpadi BDO, the investigation officer said. He was arrested on December 31.

Address update scam: Denim trousers cost ₹94k

 Address update scam: Denim trousers cost ₹94k

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:

03.01.2022

A pair of branded denim trousers cost a Vastrapur interior designer Rs 94,000, with cybercrooks siphoning off her money with a malicious link. She had clicked the link to get delivery updates, mentioned an FIR filed with the Vastrapur police station on Saturday.

The victim is Apurva Munet, 25, a resident of Samruddhi Apartments, who hails from Madhya Pradesh. She has been working as a senior interior designer with a private firm in Thaltej for the past two years.

She stated in her FIR that she had ordered one pair of denim trousers on November 28 and another on November 29 from a shopping portal of a leading denim company.

Munet said in her FIR that the pair she had ordered on November 28 was delivered on December 3. But there was no sign of the November 29 order. On December14, she searched for the customer care number of the delivery firm concerned. She called the number and a person asked her for the tracking ID and confirmed that her package was with the delivery firm.

She asked him if she could collect her package personally. But the man insisted that their courier would make the delivery.

The man told her to update her address by paying Rs 3 using a link sent to her. Following his instruction, she paid the money after which she received a confirmation message. Later, the man called and asked  for her preferred delivery time.

On December 14, at around 8. 30pm, she began receiving messages about money being deducted from her two bank accounts linked to a UPI payment app. In all, she ended up losing Rs 94,000. Having realized that she had been cheated, she approached Vastrapur police and filed a complaint. The Information Technology Act has been invoked as well.

Omicron test lure: Bank accounts emptied Cybercrooks Use Isolation Threat

 

Omicron test lure: Bank accounts emptied

Cybercrooks Use Isolation Threat

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:

03.01.2022

If you respond to an email promising a free Omicron test, you may let cybercrooks infect your device and empty your bank

account.

A senior police officer said that cybercrooks send emails with attached malicious links and files. If people open such a link or a file, their system —cellphone or computer — is compromised and criminals gain access tovital information.

Recently, the cyber cellof the state police issued an advisory on cybercrooks using the Omicron test lure.

In some instances, when someone hoping to get a free test clicks a link, bank account information is sought innocuously. Those gullible enough to divulge private information find their accounts emptied, according to the advisory issued by the cyber cell on December 30.

In many cases, people ended up sharing their details with fraudsters and lost their money in this time of crisis, said a poli- ce officer. The officer said that a formal complaint is yet to be filed in relation to such cheating cases.

“In most cases, people receive an email which is ostensibly from the National Health Service (NHS) of the UK,” the officer said. “The message offers the Omicron test. ”

The email senders also instill fear by saying that if the test is not taken, the recipient will be placedin isolationto prevent the spread of the infection, said the officer. “So people are lured with a free test and threatened by the prospect of isolation,” said another senior police officer. “Some people fall into the trap and are cheated. ” Sources in the state police said that cybercrooks also trawl the browsing history of a target and reach out if information on the Omicron test has been looked up.

Moreover, cybercrooks use addresses that appearto be from private and government hospitals. Police advise people to scrutinize domain names to checkthe authenticity of websites and report any suspicious activity on the cybercrime portal.

Senior citizen duped of ₹49k

Senior citizen duped of ₹49k

Ahmedabad:12.10.2021

A senior citizen was cheated out of more than Rs 49,000 after she tried to fill up an online form to change the address for medicines she had ordered.

Dr Kamexa Dwarikaprasad told Sardarnagar police that she had ordered some medicine and got a call from a courier company on September 16 that her medicine had arrived. They said the medicine would be delivered the next day.

She told police, “I searched for the courier firm’s contact on the internet and got two phone numbers. When I called one of the numbers, they asked me to fill up an online form for which i would have to pay a charge of Rs 5.” The cybercrooks asked the doctor to download an app, and then fill up the form.

They then stole Rs 49,486 from her bank account. TNN