Two were held for ₹10.61. Digital arrest scam

(MENAFN-IANS) Hyderabad, Oct 8 (IANS) The Telangana Cyber ​​Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested two youths who cheated a person of Rs 10.61 crore in the name of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax investigation Rupees defrauded (IT) department, officials said.

The accused were arrested in Bengaluru and brought to Hyderabad after they were involved in a complex digital arrest scam, TGSCB Director Shikha Goel said on Tuesday.

The accused were Vinay Kumar S Khadke (23) and Maruthi GH (28), both residents of Bengaluru.

A Hyderabad resident had filed a complaint last month saying that he was contacted by people posing as Mumbai police.

The fraudsters falsely claimed that a bank account was opened using the victim’s Aadhaar and PAN details and that they were involved in money laundering activities.

The fraudsters even sent fake letters from the ED and IT department demanding the victim’s financial details including property, deposits, shares, salary etc, the TGSCB director said.

The criminals claimed that the victim would face legal action and a prison sentence of three to seven years.

Under the guise of conducting an investigation, they forced the victim to cooperate through online interactions and video calls.

The victim was tricked into transferring a total of Rs 10.61 crore to accounts controlled by the fraudsters in the belief that she was complying with law enforcement orders.

The two accused were joint account holders of a current account at Tinkan Technologies Pvt. Ltd. where Rs 4.62 crore was transferred from the victim’s account.

During the operation, police confiscated two cell phones used to commit the crime.

On the modus operandi, officials said the fraudsters exploited financially vulnerable people and offered them commissions in return for access to their bank accounts.

After gaining access to these accounts, the defendants posed as police officers and falsely claimed that the victim’s bank account was involved in money laundering. They manipulated the victim into believing that an official investigation was underway and intimidated them into transferring funds.

The scammers used Mule account holders to further facilitate their fraudulent activities, making the operation appear legitimate.

In this case, the two accused opened a current account with HDFC Bank in the name of Tinkan Technologies Pvt. Ltd., on behalf of a third party who promised them commissions.

The investigation continues to track the broader network involved in this fraud, Shikha Goel said.

The Telangana Cyber ​​Security Bureau has advised people to remain vigilant and protect their personal and financial information. The TGCSB has also advised people to exercise extreme caution when disclosing confidential information, especially to unknown people or sources that cannot be verified.

“No legitimate police investigation is conducted solely by telephone or online. The public is advised to never share their bank accounts with anyone known or unknown.”

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