The Cyber Crime branch of CID has achieved a major success by arresting the accused in a serious case of cyber fraud. This case was registered on May 14th, in which the complainant stated that they were contacted via a WhatsApp call by someone impersonating an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer.
Ranchi: A shocking case of cyber fraud has emerged in Jharkhand, where cunning fraudsters, posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, not only mentally harassed ordinary citizens but also defrauded them of crores of rupees by digitally arresting them. The Ranchi-based CID's Cyber Crime team has busted this high-profile fraud ring, arresting a fraudster from Himachal Pradesh. This arrest has also exposed an interstate network of digital fraudsters spanning from Jammu to Tamil Nadu.
Fear Mongering under the Guise of Money Laundering, Followed by Digital Arrest
This case, registered on May 14th at the Cyber Crime station, began with a WhatsApp call. The caller, identifying themselves as an ED officer, threatened the victim with implication in serious crimes like money laundering. Subsequently, a digital arrest was staged via video call, where the victim was instructed to remain in front of the camera and not go anywhere, as they were 'under investigation'.
Due to this psychological pressure, the victim transferred ₹1,39,70,000 to different accounts. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that in the last four days alone, the gang had credited ₹3.10 crore into a fraudulent account.
Account Opened in the Name of "Women's Welfare Society"
The arrested accused had opened an account in Yes Bank in the name of "Women's Welfare Society". This account was used to collect the defrauded money and further transfer it to different accounts. Bank statements revealed that a large sum of money from victims across the country had been deposited into this account in recent days.
The extent of this gang's reach can be gauged from the fact that 27 complaints related to this single account have been registered from different states on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. These include states like Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Assam, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Telangana. In essence, people across the country have fallen victim to this gang.
Previous Arrests
The accused apprehended from Himachal Pradesh has been identified as Subhash Chandra alias Subhash Sharma. Prior to this, B Ishaq Ahmed was arrested from Telangana and Lalduhsanga from Mizoram in the same case. The police recovered a mobile phone, SIM card, ATM card, and Aadhaar card from them, confirming the fraud.
The technical expertise and vigilance of the Ranchi-based CID's Cyber Crime team are being lauded for this entire operation. The accused's location was traced with the help of the technical cell, leading to the arrest. According to officials, this gang operates in multiple layers, including those running call centers, those creating fake identity documents, and money mules.
The police have warned the public that if anyone impersonating a government agency official demands money transfer through an unknown call or WhatsApp video call, they should immediately be alert and file a complaint on 1930 or the cyber helpline.
