Mumbai Police, after a raid at a SIM card dealer's shop in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, smelled a rat. Following the raid, they arrested the dealer on suspicion. Further investigation confirmed their suspicions. It was revealed that the individual was part of a cyber fraud scheme and a major SIM card racket, recently exposed by cyber investigation officers at Bandra Police Station.
This cybercriminal's arrest story is rather intriguing. It all started when a retired Assistant Commissioner of Mumbai Police became a fraud victim. The senior citizen was conned and lost a staggering 1.76 lakh rupees.
The 72-year-old victim recounted to cyber officers how someone claimed to be a friend of a former colleague. The victim didn't suspect anything at the time and fell for the trick. The arrested suspect was identified as Ajay Birhad, who operated a SIM card business in Jalgaon.
He, along with others who remain unapprehended, conned people in this racket. However, the dealer in Alwar, Rajasthan, activated all numbers used in phishing and cybercrime activities. Birhad has admitted his part in the racket and aiding his accomplices.
The Racket’s Modus Operandi
PSI Shankar Patil from Bandra Police Station's Cyber Detection team revealed that the accused reached the victims through Facebook Messenger app, the same method used with the retired police officer. The ID used for chatting was fake, displaying a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) image as the display picture.
Pretending to be the victim's friend, the accused claimed he was transferring and wanted to sell items listed on OLX. The retired officer was interested in purchasing the goods at discounted prices. The entire transaction took place through Google Pay.
Now, three other accomplices involved in the case are absconding. The dealer took people's documents for new connections, assuring them the number wasn't active yet, but would be in Rajasthan. Birhad, now in custody, faces charges under fraud and IT Act sections.
