Five busted for renting bank a/cs in Alwar for over 4cr cybercrime
Police said they received a lot of complaints from victims of the cybercrime whose money was siphoned off, and tracked the mule accounts, allegedly rented or leased to criminal gangs.
According to police, the accused opened or provided existing accounts to cybercrime groups in exchange for a commission.
These accounts were then used to route fraudulent transactions which investigators estimate to have crossed Rs 4 crore.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Devotees scammed in online booking for Srirangam Yatri Nivas
Trichy: Planning to visit the famed Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam and spend a couple of days at the HR&CE-run Yatri Nivas there? By all means go ahead, but steer clear of "online booking" offers. For, the guest house doesn't take reservations on the internet, but cybercriminals have been busy duping unsuspecting pilgrims who go for it. Since December, several people who made 'online reservations' for lodging through these fake websites have been scammed, according to complaints registered with cyber police, accessed by TOI. HR&CE sources said they have so far filed seven complaints in connection with the scam, which involves amounts ranging from ₹1,500 to ₹16,500. Police and temple officials have been left in a tizzy. The budget-friendly lodging complex controlled by the HR&CE department was opened in Jan 2015 and serves as a major spot for devotees travelling from across the country to Srirangam temple. Speaking to several of the victims, TOI learned that the modus operandi of the scamsters was to lure people who begin searching online for 'guest house bookings in Srirangam.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Back Pain Treatments That Might Surprise You! Back Pain Treatment | Search Ads Undo The fraudulent websites often appear at the top of the search results with a 'sponsored' tag. Drawn in by the serene images of the lodging, unsuspecting victims then enter their phone numbers on the fake site. "Thereafter, I received a WhatsApp message from a number directing me to pay ₹5,000 and ₹1,450 in two instalments via UPI. After paying it, I waited for a while but did not receive a booking confirmation," says Amaresh K from Nandyala in Andhra Pradesh, who was scammed on July 21. When he called the number, strangely a man spoke to him in Hindi. "And when I asked for a refund, I was told to pay another ₹4,000 to process it," he told TOI. "When I visited the temple, I went straight to the lodging, where it was confirmed that it was a scam and there was no system for online reservations," he said. A senior HR&CE official said the matter has been raised with the commissioner of police. Police have so far filed only CSRs, not FIRs, and have not tracked down anyone operating the scam. They said they have blocked multiple websites linked to the fraud. "But the scamsters operate much like those sending hoax bomb threats. They work on different botnets, and the website domains keep mushrooming," a senior police official at Trichy district cybercrime wing said. The official added that they have advised HR&CE department to publicise the fact that no online reservations are taken. HR&CE sources said they have pasted instructions at the lodging and are flashing the warning on the temple website regularly. "Police say they have not filed FIRs because we have not been able to bring the victims in person, instead of us (HR&CE) lodging complaints on their behalf. We have asked the victims to register their complaints from their respective places at their local police stations," said the HR&CE official. A senior city police official told TOI that an investigation is underway. It was difficult to go beyond a point as the victims are mostly in another location, sometimes even outside the state, when they are scammed, he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Home minister calls addiction to online gaming worse than drugs, govt plans fresh curbs
Bengaluru: The govt will decide on regulating the online gaming sector based on recommendations of a committee headed by IPS officer Pranab Mohanty, home minister G Parameshwara told the assembly Tuesday. The committee, set up in April, is expected to submit its report in Sept. Responding to a question from BJP's S Suresh Kumar during question hour, Parameshwara said he had met representatives of online gaming companies and sought their cooperation in framing regulations to safeguard public. "They have agreed," he said, while suggesting online games were more dangerous than drugs. Parameshwara acknowledged concerns about addiction, especially among youth. He cited police data showing 347 cases of online betting registered in the state since 2023 — 84 cases in 2023, 104 in 2024, and 159 up to July 31 this year. Ballari district reported the highest number, at 73 cases. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Kumar accused the govt of inaction in the Supreme Court, where the matter has been pending for three years. "Why hasn't the govt made sure that the SC stay is vacated? We don't need another country to destroy us. These games are enough," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia Solar Panels: See How Much It Will Cost To Install Them (See Prices) Solar Panel | Search Ads Learn More Undo Highlighting aggressive marketing, he said: "I received a message that my wallet has been credited with Rs 1.6 lakh and I can play rummy. How many people have the capacity to resist the temptation? The likes of (cricketer) Harbhajan Singh are endorsing such games." The legal tussle over online gaming began in 2021, when the previous BJP govt amended the Karnataka Police Act to prohibit online games. The high court struck down the amendments in 2022, after which the state challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court. Parameshwara said the "comprehensive" changes were contested by the All India Gaming Federation, adding: "We need to define games of skill and chance, whose need wasn't anticipated when the law was amended. " CN Ashwath Narayan of BJP urged the govt to ban betting even in games of skill. In response, IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge said: "Even fantasy sports were put under the skill game category by the court. The Union and state govt must work together on a law. There's a 28% GST on online gaming. So, games are being hosted on foreign servers. This makes it difficult for us to take action if there's fraud." Priyank said India has 519 million gamers, including 140 million paid gamers, and projected the online gaming business to grow from $4.5 billion to $9 billion within three years. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ex-minister Kadu gets 3 months in jail for assault on IAS officer
Mumbai: Observing that, however noble the intention, one cannot address a public servant in such a manner or threaten him with harm to life or reputation, a special court for MPs and MLAs on Tuesday convicted and sentenced former MLA and former state minister Bacchu alias Omprakash Babarao Kadu to three months' simple imprisonment for assaulting and criminally intimidating an IAS officer in 2018. The incident occurred when Kadu, upset about the 'Mahapariksha' conducted by the Maharashtra IT Corporation, attacked Pradeep P, then director of the information and technology department, an IAS officer. "Entering the cabin of a senior public officer, engaging in heated arguments, lifting the officer's iPad, and gesturing to hit him clearly amounts to 'assault' within the meaning of Section 351 (of) IPC. This was not a casual act, but one that conveyed the intention to cause harm, sufficient to constitute the offence of assault," special judge Satyanarayan R Navander said. The judge further noted that "merely because the accused was a sitting MLA, he did not have any licence to deter a public servant by criminally intimidating him or by making an assault in his office. " You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai Kadu, who was out on bail, was also fined Rs 10,000. After his lawyer submitted a plea, the judge suspended his sentence, enabling him to file an appeal in Bombay high court. Sentencing the 55-year-old accused, the judge noted punishment should not only be a lesson for the offender but also for others who might consider similar actions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo "The accused was a sitting MLA. Many avenues were open for him. He could have addressed his grievance even directly through the chief minister. Instead of choosing the appropriate and legitimate way, he went to the office of the informant (IAS officer) and in an unsuited fashion, made an assault, thereby maligning the image not only of the officer but the govt itself," the judge said. In a 26-page judgement, the judge highlighted the critical role of IAS officers in the country's governance, including their involvement in public administration and policy implementation. The judge said, "No doubt, there can be grievances about governance or management of a particular department or even regarding conducting the examinations during recruitment processes of the govt. That does not mean that any representative of the people would go to such an officer and attack him violently, thereby intimidating the officer and disrupting his business. " The judge further said that considering the nature of the public duty of officers, Section 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is designed to protect them from assault or criminal force while they are performing their duties without fear of intimidation or violence. "The object of punishment as such is not only to give understanding to the accused but also to the prospective wrongdoers that the office of administrative officers should be respected and legal ways be chosen for addressing the grievances," the judge said. Special public prosecutor Ramesh Siroya cited five witnesses. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
