Cybercrooks using gaming app lure to hire bank accounts, SIM cards
Panaji:
An investigation into cybercrimes has revealed that fraudsters target youth to ostensibly hire their bank accounts and SIM cards, using gaming apps as an inducement, and then deploying the personal information for criminal activities.
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Cyber fraudsters approach youth through social media and other platforms and persuade them to rent out their bank accounts and SIM cards to earn additional pocket money.
'Bank accounts and SIM cards of youth rented out to fraudsters are used in cheating cases. Youth should not give their sensitive information on rent as once their bank accounts and SIM cards are frozen by police, they become criminals by default,' SP cybercrime Rahul Gupta said.
He added, 'Crypto-trading on Telegram groups is also attracting youth. Most of the illegal businesses in the cyber domain are running on Telegram.'
Gupta said if youth provide bank accounts on rent, the fraudsters promise to provide commission based on the transactions. He said youth are also lured by cybercriminals with offers of task-based jobs.
'The backbone of cyber fraudsters is bank accounts and SIM cards. In some cases, they offer cheap loans to consumers and direct them to download the loan app,' Gupta said.
'They provide Rs 10,000 to the target, but once the app is downloaded, they take control of the phone and access all the contacts.'
Gupta said, 'Once the contacts are accessed, fraudsters try to cheat them.'
It was revealed that many youth between the ages of 20 and 25 are renting out their bank accounts but are not aware of the antecedents of the people who deposit money into their accounts.
To act against the cyber fraudsters, state govt plans to set up an integrated cybersecurity solution lab for analysis, detection, and response to cyber threats and attacks, including malware, at an estimated cost of Rs 89.4 crore.
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The National Forensic Sciences University Research and Innovation Council (NFSU-RIC), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, an institute under the Union ministry of home affairs, will serve as the implementation agency for the solutions.
These include a Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity and a lab for analysis, detection, and response to cyber threats and attacks.
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