New Delhi: A cyber fraud ring that duped innocent individuals through counterfeit customer care numbers listed on Google has been dismantled by the Cyber Cell of South Delhi, Ankit Chauhan, DCP South Delhi said on Tuesday.
The police received the information about the fraud ring through a complaint registered at the Cyber Police Station South.
The arrested accused was identified as Ritik Kumar (23) son of Raj Kumar resident of Bagicha Nakhaspind, Patna, Bihar, Manish Kumar (20) son of late Dilip Prasad resident of Ummad Gali, Begampur, Near Patna Sahib Railway Station, Bihar, and Sanjay Kumar (28) son of Anil Prasad resident of Gulmhiya Sabalpur, Patna, Bihar.
According to the Police, the arrests were made following a detailed investigation into a complaint by a resident of Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, who reported being swindled out of Rs 1,29,000.
The victim sought customer support for a defective domestic flour machine, only to be tricked by the fraudsters operating through fabricated contact numbers found on Google.
A case was registered under sections 420/34 of the Indian Penal Code at the Cyber Police Station, South District.
The comprehensive investigation was led by the team of the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police who utilised technical analysis and surveillance to trace the fraudulent transactions to a bank account in Patna, Bihar.
Subsequent raids in Patna resulted in the arrests and the recovery of six mobile phones, a passbook, an Aadhar Card related to the beneficiary account, and a SIM card linked to the account.
During interrogation, the accused revealed an elaborate scheme involving the purchase and sale of bank accounts for committing fraud, implicating links to Jamtara, Jharkhand – a region infamous for cybercrimes.
The main accused, Ritik Kumar, disclosed his association with a network that posts fake customer care numbers on Google, employing these for various services through Google ads, further illustrating the sophisticated nature of their operation.
The illicit proceeds were primarily used to finance these advertisements, thereby perpetuating the cycle of fraud.
The arrested individuals hail from various locations in Bihar, with ages ranging from 20 to 28 years.