In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Varanasi police have dismantled an interstate gang operating a fraudulent call centre that duped people through fake share trading schemes. The operation led to the arrest of nine individuals, including the alleged mastermind, from the Gandhinagar Colony area under the Lanka police station jurisdiction on Tuesday.
The Modus Operandi: A Web of Deception
According to the police, the cyber crime branch received specific intelligence about criminals targeting common citizens via illicit call centres. A dedicated team was formed under Inspector-in-charge of Cyber Crime Station, Gopal Ji Kushwaha, to investigate. The gang's method was sophisticated and manipulative. They first placed advertisements on major social media platforms like Meta (Facebook) and Google, impersonating well-established and reputable companies.
These ads were designed to harvest personal data from potential victims. Once they obtained this data, the accused would call people, presenting themselves as expert financial advisors or trading specialists. They offered lucrative stock market offers to entice their targets.
After gaining the trust of victims, the fraudsters tricked them into revealing the login credentials for their demat accounts. Under the guise of earning a brokerage commission, the criminals then conducted numerous unauthorized buy and sell transactions within the victims' accounts. This not only caused substantial financial losses through bad trades but also generated illegal commission for the gang.
Police Action and Seizures
Acting swiftly on the tip-off, the police team raided the fake call centre and made the arrests. A substantial amount of evidence was recovered from the site, which included:
- A large quantity of mobile phones
- Multiple ATM cards
- Numerous SIM cards
- Bank account details
- Laptops used in the operation
- Yellow metal (presumably gold jewellery)
- Cash amounting to Rs 4,88,920
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically 318(2) and 318(4), as well as sections 61(2) and 317(2). Charges under the Information Technology Act, including sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation using computer resource), have also been invoked.
The Accused and the Money Trail
During interrogation, the arrested individuals revealed a crucial part of their scheme. Once they had access to a victim's demat account, they would transfer the money to fake or mule bank accounts. From these accounts, the cash was swiftly withdrawn, completing the cycle of fraud.
All nine arrested individuals are residents of Jaunpur district. They have been identified as Shamim Meterwal, Abhay Maurya, Amit Singh, Krishna Vishwakarma, Abhishek Tiwari, Shiva Vaishya, Aman Maurya, Vinay Kumar alias Chikki, and Sujal Chaurasiya.
This bust highlights the increasing threat of cyber fraud in the realm of online investments and stock trading. It serves as a stark reminder for the public to exercise extreme caution, never share login credentials or OTPs, and verify the authenticity of financial advisors or trading platforms before engaging with them. The Varanasi police's proactive action is a significant step in curbing such organized online trading fraud in the region.
