Two individuals were apprehended by the Mumbai Police in Jharkhand on charges of defrauding the manager of the Central Bank of India in Mumbai to the tune of Rs 1 lakh. The victim reported that on January 15, he received a call from unidentified persons who asserted that his credit card had been charged for an active app subscription, and if left unattended, further deductions would occur. The perpetrators offered to deactivate the app to prevent further losses.
It was revealed that the accused employed various guises, posing either as representatives from the electricity department or as customer care agents from ICICI Bank, to deceive their victims. In this instance, the complainant was directed to download an APK file purportedly from ICICI Bank and furnish his credit card particulars and CVC, which he unwittingly disclosed. Shortly thereafter, funds were siphoned from his account, and attempts to contact the perpetrators proved futile as their phones went unanswered.
Eknath Paulbudhe, a cyber detection sub-inspector, disclosed that the apprehended suspects were identified as Ravi Mandal, the caller, and Santosh Sharma, who facilitated the illicit transaction by providing an account for the fraudulent proceeds. Additionally, three other individuals associated with the scam remain at large, with authorities indicating that the syndicate has been operational since the onset of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The accused have been charged with multiple offenses, including cheating, conspiracy, and violations of the Information Technology Act. Notably, two minors allegedly involved in the scheme have been implicated, and legal notices have been served to their guardians. All suspects hail from the village of Karmatar in Jharkhand.
Following their arrest, Ravi Mandal and Santosh Sharma were transported to Mumbai and remanded into police custody. A joint operation conducted by the Mumbai Police and local law enforcement in Jamtara yielded the discovery of 25 SIM cards purportedly utilized by the accused over three months, facilitated by 14 different mobile devices utilized to perpetrate the scam.
