The Jamtara district police have arrested three alleged cyber criminals and busted a racket involved in online banking fraud, fake cashback offers and mobile-based scams, police said on Wednesday.
The arrests were made during raids conducted in Karmatand police station area following a tip-off, they said.
Addressing a press conference at his office on Wednesday, the Cyber Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amit Kumar said that a special team was constituted after receiving specific information about the activities of the accused. Raids were carried out at Paratol Bans Tund and Tarabahal villages, leading to the arrest of Sameem Ansari (24), Kaif Ansari (19) and Mustaqeem Ansari (38), all residents of different villages in Jamtara district. Police recovered six mobile phones and four SIM cards from their possession.
The Cyber DSP said that preliminary investigation revealed that the accused used to send fake cashback messages through an app called “Ease My Deal”. Victims were lured with promises of a cashback reward of ₹1,999 and persuaded to click on links or accept messages.
“Once a victim responded, money was siphoned from the bank account to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. The proceeds were later converted into gift cards and sold on commission to make tracking difficult,” said the DSP.
According to the investigation, the gang also used malicious APK files to gain access to victims’ mobile phones and banking details. In some cases, callers posed as bank representatives and warned people that their credit cards would be blocked or that new cards were being issued. Victims were then asked to download an APK file, enabling the fraudsters to access confidential banking information.
“The cyber fraud network appears to have links across several states. We are identifying other associates and examining bank accounts connected to the operation,” the DSP said.
Police records show that Mustaqeem Ansari had earlier been named in a cybercrime case. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Information Technology Act and other applicable laws, and further investigation is underway.
