Cyber criminals from Raj, Delhi and Jharkhand active in Sangam city: Police

PROBE HAS REVEALED THAT THE TWO ACCUSED HAD OPENED AROUND 150 BANK ACCOUNTS IN LAST FEW YEARS.

PRAYAGRAJ : The recent arrest of two men in Prayagraj held on charges of committing online fraud has revealed that cyber criminals from Rajasthan, Delhi and Jharkhand were active in Sangam city with the help of their local aides, said a police official probing the incident.

This came to light after a crime branch team under inspector Anil Kumar Singh on Monday arrested two cyber fraudsters Man Singh Meena of Rajasthan and Ajay Kumar Jatav of Delhi from Prayagraj.

SP crime Ashutosh Mishra said after initial probe and going through the phone details it was found that the local conmen took instructions from the kingpin in other states and managed identification documents for opening bank accounts for transfer of money.

“The two arrested conmen were in contact with local fraudsters. On their instructions, the local fraudsters used to approach people in rural areas, especially the poor and unemployed, and lured them of cash in return of their identification documents which were used for opening bank accounts,” said Mishra. However, the conmen used to mention their own mobile number in the bank account details, he said. The probe further revealed that the fraudsters called up people on different pretexts posing as bank staff or employees of online money transfer companies etc.

“They demanded OTP’s and other details of gullible people in order to complete their bank KYC or offered different proposals. Once they got the details they used the same to empty the bank account. This illegal money was then transferred into accounts created by local conmen in different states for which they were given some commission,” he said. Initial probe has revealed that the two accused had opened around 150 bank accounts in last few years.

Mishra said crime branch teams were tracing other accomplices of the accused and local fraudsters with whom the accused were in contact.

“Once others involved are caught, the magnitude of the fraud will be known. Bank customers should immediately report if they receive any call from anybody posing as bank employees etc,” he added.