SO FAR FIVE (05) FIRs OF SIMILAR MODUS OPERANDI HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE BEEN REGISTERED IN GUJRAT, HARYANA, WEST BENGAL AND BIHAR. BESIDES 16 OTHER COMPLAINTS HAVE ALSO BEEN LINKED WITH THE ARRESTED ACCUSED PAN INDIA., ACCUSED MADE ATTEMPTS TO CHEAT BY CALLING ON MOBILE NUMBERS OF MORE THAN 100 MPs/MLAs., ACCCUSED WOULD PROCURE CONTACT DETAILS OF MPs/MLAs FROM GOOGLE SEARCH AND THEN WOULD CALL THEM., ACCUSED WOULD PROCURE SIM CARDS ON FAKE IDENTITY AND WOULD SAVE THIS MOBILE NUMBER ON TRUE CALLER IN THE NAME OF SENIOR OFFICERS OF SBI BANK., ACCUSED WOULD CONDUCT TELE INTERVIEW AND THEN WOULD OFFER JOB FOR THE POST OF CLERK IN SBI BANK TO THE REFERENCES OF HON’BLE MPs/MLAs. ACCUSED WOULD TRANSFER THE ALLEGED AMOUNT THROUGH AADHAR ENABLED PAYMENT SYSTEM (AEPS). ACTION INITIATED ON THE COMPLAINT RECEIVED FROM A GIRL RESIDING IN SADAR BAZAR AREA AND GOT DUPED OF RS. 25000/-
(MOREPIC1) Face2News /Chandigarh
Continuing the sustained drive against Cyber fraudsters in pursuant to directions of senior officers, a dedicated team of Police Station Cyber North, led by SI Ranjit Singh and SI Guman Singh, comprising ASI Mahesh Patil & HC Jitender, under the close supervision of Inspr. Pawan Tomar, SHO/Cyber North Police Station and guidance of Shri Dharmender Kumar, ACP/Operations, North Delhi has arrested a person who would cheat references of Hon’ble MPs/MLAs on the pretext of providing them jobs in nationalized banks.
Several complaints regarding cheating with references of Hon’ble MPs/MLAs were being received on NCRP Portal. A complaint of similar modus operandi was received in police station Cyber North through NCRP from complainant namely D r/o Sadar Bazar, Delhi. She alleged that someone cheated her of Rs. 25,000/- on the pretext of job in SBI Bank.
The complainant alleged that she received a call from an unknown number and the caller impersonated himself as Mr. Pankaj Tripathi (Manager) calling from SBI Bank, Chandni Chowk, Delhi. Thereafter, he offered her the Job of clerk in SBI Bank, Chandni Chowk, Delhi to which the complainant agreed. The complainant was then asked to transfer money in the bank account on various pretexts viz Registration Charge, Documentation Charge, and Security Fees. In this way, she transferred total Rs. 25,000/-. She was then told to collect the joining letter from SBI Bank, Chandni Chowk. When she reached in the branch, she realized that she had been cheated.
On the basis of the complaint, a Case vide FIR No. XX/23 dated XX.07.2023 u/s 420 IPC was registered at PS Cyber North District and investigation was carried out.
Mr. Sagar Singh Kalsi, IPS, DCP, North Distt., said, during the investigation, it came to notice that several complaints across pan India are being received in which references of Hon’ble MPs/MLAs were duped on the pretext of providing jobs in nationalised banks. The details received from NCRP Portal and local police stations revealed that someone is specifically targeting the relatives and reference persons of Hon’ble MPs/MLAs. Sensing the gravity of crime and the audacity shown by the criminals above dedicated team swung into action.
Above said team conducted a detailed meticulous technical analysis of Call Details & money transactions and it was found that the accused was continuously moving and operating from Kanpur and Unnao districts of Uttar Pradesh. The team then rushed to Unnao (UP) in search of the accused and camped there to gather local intelligence. The CDR and money trail analysis coupled with local intelligence gathered in Unnao, the team was successfully able to fix the identity of accused.
Thereafter, the money trail led the team to a shop owner of Money transfer/E-Mitra in Unnao, UP, wherein it came to notice that the accused had transferred the cheated amount in the account of the shop owner and then took cash. He also contacted the shop owner with a SIM Card issued on Fake Identity. However, the team kept on searching the clues overnight and finally, dedicated efforts of the team bore fruit and the location of the accused was traced in a Kanpur hotel. A raid was conducted which led to the arrest of Ashu Bajpai, Age 24 Years.
INTERROGATION: The accused Ashu Bajpai, age-24 years is a resident of Unnao, Uttar Pradesh and had been residing with his brother Pradeep (co-accused) in Jankipuram in Lucknow, UP. He was working as a delivery boy at a Medical store. He along with his brother came across one Ravikant who gave him the idea of earning easy money through cyber fraud with people. Eager to earn quick money in a short period, he started targeting people who were looking for Jobs. He then came across an idea to dupe friends and known of Hon’ble MPs/MLAs. For this, he procured fake SIM cards from a SIM dealer in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and then searched contact numbers of MPs/MLAs on Google. Thereafter, he along with his brother Pradeep used to call MPs/MLAs as Manager from SBI Bank and offered a Job for the post of Clerk to their known ones and would seek the contact numbers of references.
(SUBHEAD)The accused and his brother would call the victims and ask for money from them on the pretext of registration charges and security fees. He would provide a QR Code scanner of shop owners of Money transfer/E-Mitra to the victims and will ask them to transfer the amount in QR Code and take the cash from Money transfer/E-Mitr shops. The accused had been staying in hotels of Kanpur, Lucknow and Unnao Uttar Pradesh to evade police action. He disclosed that he had made attempts or cheated more than 100 persons through this modus operandi.
CASES LINKED WITH THE ARRESTED ACCUSED: FIR No. 410/23 PS City Tohana, Haryana., FIR No. 11204047230233/23 PS Nadiad West, Kheda, Gujarat., FIR No. 231/23 PS HSIDC Barahi, Sonipat, Haryana., FIR No. 21/23 PS Cyber Rohini, Delhi., FIR No. 509/23 PS City Crown, Chamaparan, Bihar.Moreover, 16 complaints have been found linked pan India on NCRP.
DETAIL OF ACCUSED PERSONS:: Ashu Bajpai R/o Village Lootapur, The. Safipur, PS Makhi, District Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, age-24 years. (Pursuing BA 3rd Year).
RECOVERY: 3 Smart Mobile Phones (including mobile phone used in offence)., 8 Debit Cards., 5 SIM Cards.
Further investigation of the case is in progress and efforts are being made to arrest co-accused of the case and link recovered mobile phones/SIM cards and bank accounts with other victims.
