VoIP scam busted in Ahmedabad, gang uses fake TRAI threats to cheat thousands
Both accused in police custody
AHMEDABAD: A sophisticated cybercrime involving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling scam — was dismantled in the city which cheated citizens by impersonating officials and threatening to block their sim cards.
Two alleged members of a cybercrime gang, Lovekesh Kumar and Anubhav Gupta (also referred to as Anurag Gupta), were arrested earlier in Delhi and Uttarakhand respectively.
The gang members impersonated as officials fromthe Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and threatened victims that their sim cards would be blocked within two hours. Those who fell prey to this initial threat were then targeted for cyber cheating, including digital arrest and investment fraud.
The operation, running since 2021, involved making fraudulent calls through VoIP from countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, and Hong Kong. These international calls were routed through servers in Germany and then to a server located in a building near PERD centre in Thaltej.
'The choice of Ahmedabad city as a hub was due to the city's STD '79' prefix, which usedto create an impression that the calls were local mobile numbers.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
They planned to expand similar operations to Indore and Bangalore,' said a senior police official.
'The two suspects were in contact with Cindy Wan, their Chinese associate,who had instructed them to provide certain services. They are also linked to criminal gangs operating in Thailand, Malaysia, Iran, and Iraq,' said cyber crime DCP Lavina Sinha.
The criminals used Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) lines for VoIP calls, initially purchasing 500 sessions and planning to expand.
After a tip off from the Gujarat ATS, a raid was at the Thaltej building where three servers were located. Assistant police commissioner H S Makadia and inspector J P Thakor, along with their teams, used technical and human intelligence to identify the suspects.
A company for this operation was established by Kumar and Taruna Wadhwa. They initially had 1500 call lines and later added two more, allowing for up to 4500 simultaneous calls.
This meant making around 65,000 calls daily between April 20 and 24 targeting people across India.
Kumar had a previous visa fraud case against him in Karnal in Haryana. His accomplice Anubhav Gupta from Dehradun, provided technical support. Gupta was earlier booked for a similar crime in Sonipat, from which he was bailed in March 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Anti-drug campaign: 1,736 treated, 144 nabbed in 6 months
1 2 Panchkula: Under its six-month flagship campaign, Nasha aur Hinsa Mukt – Mera Gaon Meri Shaan, the police facilitated medical treatment for 1,736 persons battling drug addiction and arrested 144 drug traffickers in connection with 74 registered cases. According to police, the campaign covered 408 areas, including villages, colonies, wards, and localities, reaching out directly to 16,320 people. Through this outreach, 1,886 persons struggling with substance abuse were identified. Of these, 1,736 received medical treatment and counselling, while 61 severely affected individuals were admitted to the de-addiction centre in Sector 6. "Many of these individuals were previously unable to even walk but are now leading normal, dignified lives thanks to the combined efforts of the police and health departments," said a police official. Alongside rehabilitation efforts, the police intensified their crackdown on drug trafficking. In the six-month period, 74 NDPS cases were registered, leading to the arrest of 144 traffickers. The seizures included 99 kg of poppy husk, 12.419 kg of charas, 8.315 kg of opium, 5.750 kg of ganja, 877 grams of heroin, and 10,900 banned drug pills. Anti-narcotics cell teams, crime branches, and local police acted swiftly on tip-offs to curb drug trafficking across the district. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo To transform the campaign into a broader social movement, awareness drives were conducted in schools, colleges, and public spaces, involving youth, parents, and the general public. Mental health professionals, clinical psychologists, and doctors were also engaged to provide treatment and support through medical camps held in various parts of Panchkula for addicts and individuals facing psychological challenges. Police commissioner Shibas Kaviraj emphasised that the campaign is not limited to law enforcement but is a community-driven initiative against drugs and violence. He noted that the real success lies in helping individuals reclaim their lives and fostering lasting social change.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Court rejects plea to extend Taware's police custody in kidney transplant case
Pune: A court on Wednesday rejected the prosecution's plea to extend by seven days the police remand of Dr Ajay Taware, suspended head of Sassoon General Hospital's forensic science department, in connection with the kidney transplant case. He was arrested in relation to the 10 kidney swap transplants that were cleared by the regional authorisation committee for organ transplant, which he headed in 2022. Assistant public prosecutor Nitin Adagale told the court that the investigating officer, ACP (crime) Ganesh Ingale, in the remand report cited several reasons for Taware's questioning as the investigations had made sufficient progress. Probe found discrepancies in the information provided by the donors and recipients as well as in the video recordings of their interviews conducted before the authorisation committee, Adagale said. Police aimed to determine if Taware received any pecuniary benefits from the crime, he said. Judicial magistrate first class S R Badve, in his order, said, "The grounds mentioned in the remand report are not well-founded and justified with respect to the accused. Custodial interrogation of the accused is not necessary." The court remanded Taware in magisterial custody till June 17. He was later sent to Yerawada Central Jail. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo When asked if the prosecution would file a criminal revision petition in the sessions court challenging the magistrate court's order to seek police custody, Adagale told TOI after the court proceedings that he had not received instructions from the investigating officer in this regard. ACP Ingale said, "Even though the court has ordered magisterial custody of Taware and sent him to jail, police, as per new provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, reserve the right to seek his police remand whenever required for the purpose of investigations in the future." Taware's lawyers, Sudhir Shah and Abhishek Bade, said they will decide whether to file a bail application after consulting their client. On May 28, police secured Taware's custody from Yerawada jail, where he had been lodged since his arrest on May 27, 2024, in the blood sample swap case linked to the Porsche Taycan car crash on May 19 last year. Police formally arrested him in the 2022 kidney swap transplant case based on a state health department inquiry panel's report that year, which indicted him of misusing his official position to clear the transplant proposal based on bogus persons and forged documents. Taware headed the regional authorisation committee as well as Sassoon authority committee and was medical superintendent of the hospital at the time when the transplant process took place and was completed at Ruby Hall Clinic.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fire breaks out in K'ghar bldg's electrical duct, 400 evacuated
Navi Mumbai: A major fire broke out in a 20-storeyed residential building Geetanjali Tower in Sector 34, Kharghar, reportedly due to a short circuit in the electrical duct on the seventh floor around 1pm on Wed. Fortunately, there was no casualty as the fire did not spread to the apartments. The Kharghar fire brigade team evacuated around 400 residents of the building after smoke spread till the top floor. Pravin Bodkhe, fire officer at Kharghar, said, "We recieved the emergency call of fire breakout at Gitanjali tower around 1.18pm. Our fire fighting team reached the building with two fire engines and Bronto Skylift at 1.30pm. As we reached the building, a car was parked in the passage that blocked the way. A group of men residing in the building lifted the car and dragged it aside to make way for the fire engine. The fire had spread till the 10th floor. It took around an hour to extinguish the fire and another one hour for cooling operation. While most of the residents had rushed downstairs after building was filled with fire smoke, the fire fighters evacuated several residents on the upper floor." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Fire officer Bodkhe said, "In Gitanjali Tower, built around 16-years ago, the electrical duct is not sealed on every floor, which is mandatory as per the fire safety norms. Hence, the fire on the 7th floor's electrical duct had spread to the upper floors. The office bearers of the old residential buildings need to seal the electrical duct on every floor. Also, the residents claimed that they tried contacting the Kharghar fire station on the landline number available on online, but it was non-functional. But, every building's notice board should display the landline number. The updated landline number of Kharghar fire station is ''022 6936 5700' and '02269365704'.
