Mumbai: The cyber cell of Mumbai Police arrested an inter-state gang that was cheating people by promising free membership to big clubs in Mumbai. The fraudsters cheated people to the tune of Rs1.20 crore in Chennai alone, using the CITI Bank Diners ClubInternational Credit Card. The police said all those arrested are highly educated.
How the gang duped people
According to the complaint filed by a builder, he received a call from a person informing him that he would be granted free membership to the prominent clubs in Mumbai if he took the card. To activate the membership, a link was sent to his cell phone where he submitted details of his PAN card, Aadhaar card and credit card. The fraudster then made a purchase of Rs9,81,824 from a showroom in Chennai, after which the builder lodged a complaint.
When the police began their investigations they found that 32 people in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai had been duped using the same modus operandi. Soon, they unravelled an inter-state racket wherein calls were being made from different states including Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The accused would use the money to shop online using SIM cards procured fraudulently. So far, five people have been arrested including an MBA graduate and a mechanical engineer.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Balsing Rajput said 16 cases in Chennai have come to the fore while the 32 cases against them in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are being investigated. The mastermind is still absconding.
