Fake Parivahan app: Kochi cyber police arrest two from Varanasi
The accused, Uttar Pradesh natives Atul Kumar Singh, 32, and Manish Yadav, 24, reportedly sent fake files via WhatsApp and managed to make people believe that it was for enabling paying of fines for traffic-rule violations. The accused were arrested by the cyber police in an operation conducted at Varanasi after a Kochi resident submitted a complaint stating that he was duped of ₹85,000 through a fake Parivahan link.
On inspection of their phones, the police recovered information on over 2,700 vehicles from Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Rs 15L via 71 bank transfers: No bail for man accused of rape, blackmail in Gurgaon
Gurgaon: A district court refused to grant bail to a man accused of raping a woman and forcing her to transfer Rs 15 lakh into his account. Gagandeep, originally from Punjab, forced the survivor to transfer money into his account over 71 times. The rape accused extorted the money by threatening to upload her objectionable videos and photos that were taken during the alleged assault. For three years, the accused had sexually assaulted the woman besides blackmailing her, according to the case diary. The woman went to Malaysia, but the exploitation and blackmail continued. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon A fake suicide bid forced her to return to India. On March 11, she lodged a complaint with the city police alleging rape, blackmail and extortion. The accused, in his 40s, was arrested from a hideout in a remote area of Jharkhand on April 20. The counsel for the complainant, Manish Shandilya, said, "If released on bail, he could pressure the witnesses." Additional sessions judge Vinay Sharma said the allegations against the accused are very serious in nature. The court pointed out bank details in the form of evidence presented by the police show that on as many as 71 occasions, money transactions had been made by the survivor from her account to the account of the accused. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Crypto CFDs May Suit Your Portfolio IC Markets Learn More Undo The WhatsApp chats also substantiated that the accused forced her to transfer the money. It also showed that the accused took some objectionable photographs and videos of the survivor, the court said. "Considering the seriousness and gravity of the offence alleged to have been committed by the accused, prima facie no justifiable ground to extend the concession of bail is made out," the court said, declining the bail petition. In her complaint, the survivor had alleged that in 2022, Gagandeep, who was a friend of her brother, met her, and they exchanged their mobile numbers. Soon, Gagandeep became friendly with her and started talking to her on the mobile phone on a regular basis. On June 2, 2022, the accused came to her house. When he learnt that her husband would come at 7pm, he allegedly brought two small soft drink bottles and gave one bottle laced with sedatives to her to drink. After sometime, as she started feeling dizzy, the accused allegedly assaulted her and fled.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
UP STF, intel units keep close watch on RO/ARO exams
Lucknow: Ahead of the review officer (RO) and assistant review officer (ARO) examination on July 27, the Uttar Pradesh govt and Public Service Commission have put in place unprecedented security measures to ensure that the exam is conducted with complete fairness and transparency. To prevent any malpractice, Special Task Force (STF) of UP Police, intelligence agencies and police department have been assigned key responsibilities. The STF has been specifically directed to monitor sensitive exam centres identified prior to the examination. The Yogi govt has also issued strict instructions to track and monitor individuals with a history of disrupting the integrity of exams, including notorious cheating syndicates. Those previously involved in examination-related crimes and currently out on bail will be kept under special surveillance. Additionally, the STF will keep a close watch on social media platforms, including open forums as well as WhatsApp and Telegram. Dedicated teams will also monitor coaching institutes during the examination period, and any suspicious activities will be immediately reported to the concerned agencies. Police forces will be deployed at every exam centre to maintain peace and conduct strict frisking of candidates to ensure no banned items are carried inside. Armed guards and senior officers will be present throughout the process — from taking confidential exam papers out of the treasury to dispatching answer sheets after the exam. The exam will be held in all 75 districts of the state on July 27 in a single shift from 9:30am to 12:30pm.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Scam spread via WhatsApp hack
Kochi: City police investigating a widespread cyber fraud — where victims were tricked into downloading fake APK files in the name of the M Parivahan application — have revealed that the accused hacked WhatsApp accounts lacking two-factorauthentication, which were then used to target new users. A police team had earlier travelled to Uttar Pradesh, obtained arrest warrants from a local court and arrested Atul Kumar Singh (32) and Manish Singh (24). A third accused, a minor, was served a notice and added to the case. The two arrested were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. According to police, despite multiple agencies across India attempting to trace similar fraudsters, Kochi cyber police were the first to make arrests in such a scam. The fake app, once installed, gave remote access to victims' devices. Their WhatsApp accounts were hijacked and used to send further phishing messages and access instant delivery e-commerce sites. The repeated misuse of victims' accounts made tracking the original perpetrators challenging, police said. The case involves a Kochi resident who received a WhatsApp message, appearing to be from the M Parivahan app, regarding a traffic fine. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals He was instructed to install an app to pay the fine, which turned out to be malicious. After installation, his device was compromised and Rs 85,000 worth of gift cards were fraudulently purchased using his credit card. Officers said so far, Kochi has recorded over 96 complaints tied to this scam. Across Kerala, more than 575 individuals are believed to have lost money. Investigators tracked IP addresses and phone records to Varanasi, where the fraud network operated. Police estimate the group may have cheated victims of crores, with proceeds used for luxury spending and investments in cryptocurrency. They stressed enabling two-factor authentication on all accounts to help prevent such frauds.
