- POS agent who sold SIM to fraudsters caught
- Police team searching for accused who bought SIM
Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal
Crime Branch has arrested a gang member who digitally arrested an engineer from Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first arrest by Bhopal Crime Branch in the case of digital arrest.
The accused is a POS agent, he sold SIM to cyber fraudsters for a huge amount. In this case, a police team has been deployed to search for the accused who bought the SIM and committed the crime. The arrested accused used to give mobile SIMs to people in rural areas for free. He used to take out 2 SIMs at a time using the customer’s Aadhaar card. Initial interrogation has revealed that he sold about 150 SIMs to cyber fraudsters.
Pramod Kumar (38), who lives in Bajaria area, is a field officer in a telecom company. On the evening of 12th November, an unknown person called him and told him that he was talking from Telecom Regulatory Authority. He said that a SIM card has been taken from his Aadhar card in Mumbai, which is being used for illegal activities. Shortly after this, Pramod received a call from an unknown WhatsApp number on his mobile, in which the caller introduced himself as an officer of Mumbai Crime Branch in police uniform. After that, three letters were sent from the third number in the name of CBI. The person who claimed to be a Crime Branch officer told Pramod to deposit Rs 3.5 lakh, otherwise CBI will take action against him. The accused kept Pramod digitally arrested in his room for about six and a half hours. However, he did not transfer the money. On receiving the information in the morning, Crime Branch Additional DCP Shailendra Singh Chauhan and ACP Mukhtar Qureshi reached Pramod’s house and consoled him. Later, on Pramod’s complaint, a case was registered against unknown cyber fraudsters under sections of fraud and IT Act.
Accused sells mobile SIMs
Additional DCP Crime Branch Shailendra Singh Chauhan said that after technical analysis, a police team was sent to Kanpur and Mahoba. After about a week of tireless efforts, the police interrogated the mobile holder Vikas Sahu, resident of Bhatipura Mahoba. Vikas told the police that Airtel mobile company’s POS agent Dhirendra Kumar Vishwakarma had scanned his Aadhaar card and face in his mobile, promising to give him a free SIM. After that, he said that the SIM is not getting activated, so get the fingerprint and face updated in your Aadhaar card. Saying this, he made him put his thumb impression in the biometric machine again. He had said the same thing in front of the court also. After that, the police team arrested POS agent Dhirendra Kumar Vishwakarma (30), resident near Veerabhoomi Degree College, Bhatipura, Maboha, Uttar Pradesh. A mobile phone and 3 SIM cards have been seized from his possession.
Police engaged in search of absconding accused
Additional DCP Chauhan said that in this case, Dhirendra Kumar Vishwakarma, who provided the SIM, has been arrested. He had sold the said SIM to Durgesh Singh, resident of Ghatampur district Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The police team is searching for Durgesh. Only after his arrest will it be known whether Durgesh had carried out the incident of digital arrest with his accomplices or had sold the said SIM to some other fraudsters.
Be careful while buying a SIM
While buying a mobile SIM, fingerprint should be applied on the biometric machine only once. If you are asked to apply finger print more than once, then check whether more than one SIM is being issued in your name. While giving a photocopy of Aadhar card or other documents (only for buying SIM), write and sign, so that the documents cannot be misused. By going to the Tafcop portal, it can be found out how many mobile SIMs are activated in your name. In case of a mobile phone being lost or stolen, immediately inform the police. In case of any kind of cyber fraud, lodge a complaint online on cyber crime. Complaints against banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, stock brokers, collective investment schemes, pension schemes, non-banking financial companies can be reported on Sachet Porter. In case of any cyber crime related incident, the complaint can be reported on Bhopal Cyber ??Crime Helpline Number 9479990636 or National Helpline Number 1930.
