Mumbai Cyber Police Crack Down on Illegal SIM Card Racket
The north region cyber police in Mumbai have made a significant arrest in connection with a widespread cyber fraud operation. Authorities have apprehended a 25-year-old man, identified as Kamal, who is alleged to have illegally procured and supplied approximately 300 SIM cards to cyber criminals. These SIM cards were reportedly used in various scams, including a sophisticated digital arrest scheme that defrauded a senior citizen of Rs 29 lakh.
Details of the Arrest and Accused
Kamal, a resident of Chembur, was previously employed as an agent for multiple telecom companies. Police investigations revealed that he exploited his position to obtain SIM cards using forged documents and unauthorized Aadhaar card copies. The arrest followed a meticulous probe into a cyber fraud complaint, where investigators traced one of the scammer's phone numbers back to Kamal's illicit network.
The Elaborate Digital Arrest Scam
The case came to light after a 66-year-old retired Western Railway employee from Goregaon fell victim to a meticulously planned digital arrest scam. On December 10, the senior citizen received a video call from an individual posing as a police inspector, dressed in a khaki uniform. The caller falsely claimed that the victim's Aadhaar card had been misused to issue a mobile number and transferred the call to a fake 'Lucknow ATS Control Room'.
Later that same day, the victim received another video call from a man impersonating former NIA chief Sadanand Date. This imposter alleged that the senior citizen's Aadhaar card had been used to open a bank account in Lucknow, with transactions totaling Rs 60 crore. The fraudster accused the victim of money laundering and human trafficking, threatening a 10-year prison sentence to instill fear.
Manipulation and Financial Loss
The scammers then placed the senior citizen under 'house arrest', demanding his cooperation in the investigation. They instructed him to share his bank details via WhatsApp and liquidate his and his wife's fixed deposits and mutual funds. Over nearly a month, the fraudsters made daily video calls, monitoring his activities and sending a fabricated 'bond for legalisation from the government of India'. Under this pressure, the victim transferred Rs 29 lakh to the scammers' accounts.
Investigation and Breakthrough
After realizing he had been conned, the senior citizen filed a police complaint. Cyber police investigators tracked the scammer's phone number, discovering that the SIM card had been obtained using a copied Aadhaar card submitted to a telecom company. This led them to Kamal, who was arrested for his role in supplying illegally procured SIM cards to fraudsters. The arrest highlights the critical link between illegal SIM card distribution and the escalation of cyber crimes in urban areas.
Authorities emphasize the importance of vigilance against such digital threats and urge citizens to verify the authenticity of any unsolicited communications claiming to be from law enforcement agencies.
