Power disconnection threat: Six arrested for duping people
New Delhi: Cyber wing of Outer North district police has apprehended six cyber crooks in connection with cases of duping people across country by sending false electricity disconnection messages, said Delhi police on Tuesday.
Call details of the accused revealed that over 1,33,000 messages have been sent to power consumers to induce people with non-payment of electricity bills and the threat of disconnection, they said.
They have been identified as Sanaul Mian(44), Md. Jahid Ansari (25), the duo resident of Deoghar Jharkhand, Dipankar Ankure, Anikesh Das, and Arghya Mazumdar, all three are residents of Durgapur of West Bengal, they added.
Delhi Rohini resident Sachin Nikam who is employed in CISF has reported an incident at the cybercrime records bureau that he received a message on February 20 from a mobile number regarding “non-payment of electricity bill” and a “warning of disconnection of electricity connection.” The message provided a helpline number, 8981252618, for electricity board assistance. Upon calling the phone number, the alleged person made him download Quick Support via WhatsApp, resulting in a fraud of over Rs 2 lakh. An FIR was registered and an investigation was initiated by a police team led by SHO Cyber Crime, Outer North District Raman Kumar Singh, Inspector Devender under the supervision of ACP, Operation Yash Pal Singh.
Ravi Kumar Singh, DCP, of Outer North District, said that during the investigation, Call Detail Records of the alleged phone numbers were obtained, money tracing was conducted, and details from banks were collected. Based on surveillance and technical leads, the CDR and CAF of the alleged phone number 9476120794 were obtained, which was found registered in the name of Dipankar Ankure, residing in Birbhanpur, Kandarkona, Durgapur, West Bengal.
“Further Dipankar Ankur who owns this number was traced to his village Birbhanpur. He was served a notice under Section 41.1(A) Cr.P.C. to join the investigation. During the examination, Dipankar Ankure and his associate Anikesh Das, also from Birbhanpur, did not cooperate and provided conflicting statements. Consequently, both were arrested.,” DCP mentioned. Police have seized seven smartphones, three basic feature phones, four debit cards, and one sim card recovered from their possession.
