Dehradun: On Monday, August 26, the Cyber Police Station’s Special Task Force (STF) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, successfully arrested three individuals involved in a significant cyber fraud case. These suspects, connected to an international cybercrime syndicate with ties to agents in China, Pakistan, and Dubai, were apprehended in Delhi. The gang had defrauded a Dehradun resident of approximately Rs 23 lakh by falsely promising a job abroad. The investigation uncovered that the gang had committed similar crimes across various Indian states, employing sophisticated methods to deceive their victims.
Fake promises of providing jobs abroad
In their modus operandi, these cybercriminals targeted job seekers in the garb of reputable companies using fake email IDs, WhatsApp numbers, and telegram channels. Afterwards, they used to gain the trust of innocent people by conducting fake interviews and then demanding payments for registration, document verification, job security, and visa processing promising jobs abroad. Later, the funds collected were laundered through multiple bank accounts, opened using fake Aadhaar and PAN cards. The money was then converted into cryptocurrency, particularly USDT, which was transferred to foreign accounts via platforms like Binance and Trust Wallet. Then, the profits from these transactions were shared among the gang members.
Arrest and seizures by STF team
Following extensive technical surveillance and investigation, the STF team arrested three key members of a cyber gang at Janakpuri West Metro Station in Delhi. The individuals, identified as Almas Azam, Anas Azam, and Sachin Aggarwal, were found in possession of six mobile phones, 42 bank passbooks, checkbooks, debit cards, and 16 SIM cards. The gang’s operations were linked to Dubai, China, and Pakistan, with evidence on the suspects’ mobile phones, including WhatsApp and Telegram chats related to bank accounts, UPI details, and cryptocurrency transactions.
A youth from Dehradun made a complaint
SSP STF Ayush Aggarwal informed that a young resident of Mohabewala filed a complaint at the cyber police station. Last year, he had uploaded his CV on Naukri.com, which led to unknown cyber criminals contacting him. They initially took Rs 14,800 from him for registration. Following this, he was interviewed via the Skype app. The criminals, claiming he was selected, managed to get over Rs 22 lakh transferred to their accounts pretending document verification, job security, fast-track visa processing, and the IELTS exam.
A few days later, he received another call stating that his IELTS exam registration had not been completed and that he would need to redo the process after three months. When the criminals stopped contacting him, he reported the incident. The Cyber Thana Police registered a case, began an investigation, and examined the accounts of the accused.