Bhopal: State Cyber Crime police nabbed member of a gang involved in collecting electricity and post-paid mobile bills from consumers through cash or cheques and would pay the same online by cyber frauds. SP Cyber Crime Jitendra Singh said that the issue surfaced after one of the victims of Indore, Jyoti Sengar while on her way to Bhopal received OTP regarding online transaction after which Rs 16,000 was transferred from her bank account.
Neither did anyone call her as a bank officer nor did she share her card number and OTP with anyone but still she became victim of cyber crime. She blocked her ATM card immediately and later lodged a complaint with the cyber cell. Based on the complaint in the initial investigation, police failed to retrieve any information from message and bank account which was used from transaction.
During further investigation, all payment gateway companies were contacted and it came to the fore that the amount was used to pay bill of Balaji Rice Mills in Mansa, Punjab which was paid towards Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The total bill was Rs 2.14 lakh which was paid in 14 parts and was paid from different ATM cards. The owner of the Mill informed that agent Naresh Kumar (26) pays his electricity bill and he lives in Mansa.
Naresh was tracked and nabbed and he confessed to the police that he is connected with cyber criminals through WhatsApp, who pay online bills through cyber fraud and would not require OTP or bank details. From West Bengal to Kerala, cyber criminals have provided around 21 bank accounts to Naresh, which have been freezed and transaction details are under investigation.
A case under Sections 420 and 120-B of IPC and section 66 and 66 C of IT Act has been registered against him. Meanwhile, a 35-year from Indore was nabbed by Cyber Cell for posting indecent photographs of a girl on Facebook when the girl, Tarannum Khan (name changed), from Bhopal stopped communication with him.
The accused was identified as Syed Shahbaz Ali after victim’s father lodged a complaint against him for posting indecent photographs. Accused confessed that the victim, who was his friend in the past, had stopped all kind of communication with him after following differences between their families. Police registered a case under section 66 C and 67 A of the IT Act.
