Latest news with #AhmedabadCyberCrimeBranch
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Hans India
Ahmedabad woman held for luring job-seekers to Bangkok, trapping them into committing cyber fraud
The Cyber Crime Branch of Ahmedabad has arrested Kinjal Shah, who allegedly lured a man to Bangkok under the pretext of a job, only to involve him in a cyber fraud racket. Kinjal Shah, who runs a visa office in Vadodara, was reportedly in contact with Abhishek Singh in Dubai, a key operative claiming to be an Information Technology (IT) company employee. According to the police, Kinjal Shah promised the victim a job in Bangkok and instructed him to communicate with Abhishek via video calls for work permits and visas. Abhishek, posing as an IT professional, conducted interviews over video calls with other Chinese associates to build trust. Once convinced, the victim was called to Bangkok on a tourist visa, where he was asked to take selfies with strangers at the airport and hand over his passport. The victim's passport was seized, and he was illegally taken across the Thai border into Myanmar, first by trekking 15–20 kilometres through forests and then by car, and boat before being brought to the K.K. Park area. There, he was allegedly trained in cyber fraud for 33 days and prevented from returning to India unless a payment of Rs 3.5 lakh was made. The victim's uncle in India made the payment through multiple UPI accounts, after which the passport was returned and the victim safely returned to India. Police said Abhishek Singh, a former banker, is currently working for a Chinese gang based in Dubai. Kinjal Shah reportedly planned to send three individuals as part of the operation. Authorities also warned of multiple social media advertisements run by Chinese gangs to recruit unsuspecting victims. ACP Hardik Makadia of Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch confirmed the arrest and said the investigation is ongoing. Another case in Mandvi, Kutch district, involved a 35-year-old man who was cheated of Rs 65,000 by a gang of extortionists posing as police officers. The victim, Kanti Bhudia, was lured under the pretext of hiring masonry workers and was subsequently blackmailed by the fake officers. In a more severe case, a honey trap led to suicide by a businessman in Kutch. The accused, Manisha Goswami, allegedly masterminded a scheme that resulted in the victim's death, highlighting the extreme consequences of such fraudulent activities.
Economic Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
$200K cross-border crypto scam busted: Binance aids Ahmedabad Police in major crackdown
A major cross-border crypto scam involving over $200,000 (approximately Rs 1.75 crore) has been uncovered by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch with the assistance of global blockchain platform Binance. The scam, part of a rising wave of "digital arrest" frauds, spanned multiple countries in South and Southeast Asia and targeted vulnerable individuals using fake legal threats and crypto laundering tactics. ADVERTISEMENT One of the most shocking cases involved a 90-year-old man from Gujarat who was manipulated into transferring Rs 1.25 crore after being falsely accused of legal violations. In another incident, a young Indian jobseeker was lured to Nepal under the guise of employment, held captive, and forced to launder nearly Rs 49 lakh through cryptocurrency wallets. Investigators were able to crack the network by leveraging the transparency of blockchain technology. Binance's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) worked closely with law enforcement, tracking suspicious wallet activity, identifying laundering routes, and providing actionable intelligence that led to the arrest of suspects involved in both cases.'This case highlights the growing sophistication of cyber scams and the need for cross-border cooperation,' said a senior investigator from the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch. 'With timely support from Binance's FIU team, we were able to trace the crypto trail, identify key suspects, and move quickly on arrests. Our goal is to dismantle this criminal network at its roots and protect other potential victims.'The so-called "digital arrest" scams involve criminals impersonating police or government officials to intimidate victims into transferring money. In many cases, funds are routed through crypto wallets or rented bank accounts to obscure their origin. ADVERTISEMENT Binance's regional operations team emphasized that blockchain's traceability played a key role in tracking the illicit funds.'Every blockchain transaction leaves a visible, verifiable trail,' said Kushal Manupati, Regional Growth & Operations Lead, South Asia at Binance. 'This case is a strong example of how crypto, when used responsibly, can help fight financial crime. Binance is committed to supporting investigations that protect users and uphold the integrity of the ecosystem.' ADVERTISEMENT The crypto platform said it remains focused on working with global and local agencies to curb misuse of digital assets. Investigations in this case are ongoing, with more arrests expected as authorities dig deeper into the international network behind the scam. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times) ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
$200K cross-border crypto scam busted: Binance aids Ahmedabad Police in major crackdown
A major cross-border crypto scam involving over $200,000 (approximately Rs 1.75 crore) has been uncovered by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch with the assistance of global blockchain platform Binance . The scam, part of a rising wave of " digital arrest " frauds, spanned multiple countries in South and Southeast Asia and targeted vulnerable individuals using fake legal threats and crypto laundering tactics. One of the most shocking cases involved a 90-year-old man from Gujarat who was manipulated into transferring Rs 1.25 crore after being falsely accused of legal violations. In another incident, a young Indian jobseeker was lured to Nepal under the guise of employment, held captive, and forced to launder nearly Rs 49 lakh through cryptocurrency wallets. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS DeFi Tracker 5.89% Buy Crypto Blue Chip - 5 3.36% Buy Web3 Tracker 2.22% Buy NFT & Metaverse Tracker 1.90% Buy AI Tracker 1.46% Buy TOP COINS (₹) XRP 194 ( -0.53% ) Buy BNB 56,505 ( -0.61% ) Buy Bitcoin 9,273,670 ( -0.85% ) Buy Ethereum 218,731 ( -0.89% ) Buy Solana 12,765 ( -1.87% ) Buy Investigators were able to crack the network by leveraging the transparency of blockchain technology. Binance's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) worked closely with law enforcement, tracking suspicious wallet activity, identifying laundering routes, and providing actionable intelligence that led to the arrest of suspects involved in both cases. Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » 'This case highlights the growing sophistication of cyber scams and the need for cross-border cooperation,' said a senior investigator from the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch. 'With timely support from Binance's FIU team, we were able to trace the crypto trail, identify key suspects, and move quickly on arrests. Our goal is to dismantle this criminal network at its roots and protect other potential victims.' The so-called "digital arrest" scams involve criminals impersonating police or government officials to intimidate victims into transferring money. In many cases, funds are routed through crypto wallets or rented bank accounts to obscure their origin. Binance's regional operations team emphasized that blockchain's traceability played a key role in tracking the illicit funds. 'Every blockchain transaction leaves a visible, verifiable trail,' said Kushal Manupati, Regional Growth & Operations Lead, South Asia at Binance. 'This case is a strong example of how crypto, when used responsibly, can help fight financial crime. Binance is committed to supporting investigations that protect users and uphold the integrity of the ecosystem.' The crypto platform said it remains focused on working with global and local agencies to curb misuse of digital assets. Investigations in this case are ongoing, with more arrests expected as authorities dig deeper into the international network behind the scam. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
Chennai woman arrested for hoax bomb emails driven by obsession
A 30-year-old woman named Rene Joshilda, who worked as a senior consultant with an IT firm in Chennai, has been arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch . She is accused of sending at least 21 bomb threat emails to places in 12 Indian states, including Gujarat. Some of the places she targeted were schools, the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, and BJ Medical College. Obsessed with colleague, took revenge after his marriage Joshilda is an electrical engineer and works for Deloitte USI in Chennai. According to police, she was secretly in love with a male colleague who didn't know about her feelings. She became angry and upset when he got married on February 25 this year. Out of revenge, she sent bomb threat emails using his name or accused him of rape in fake emails. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Undo Harassed other women and made fake documents Police said her obsession had been going on for two years. She would create fake email accounts to send messages and harass any woman who talked to her male colleague. In one case, she harassed a woman so much that the woman quit her job. Joshilda even created a fake marriage certificate showing that she was married to this colleague and shared it with others in the office. Used advanced cyber tools Live Events To hide her identity, Joshilda used advanced cyber tools like VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), fake phone numbers, and spoofed email accounts. She is believed to have bought around 80 fake phone numbers and sent hundreds of false messages and emails. Police said her turning point came when her colleague got married. That's when she began sending a series of fake bomb threats, trying to frame him and create legal trouble for him. How she got caught Although she tried hard to cover her tracks, one small digital mistake helped the police trace her. Police collected digital proof and documents from her devices. She had been sending such emails for over a year before being caught. She was arrested at her home in Chennai. Her emails caused panic in multiple states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu. Police say that in many of the threatening emails, she mentioned the name of the male colleague. This helped them link the case back to her. [With TOI inputs]
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
One-sided love fuels bomb hoax spree: Chennai techie sends 21 threats across 12 states; targets schools, hospitals to frame male colleague
AHMEDABAD: A 30-year-old woman working as a senior consultant with an IT firm in Chennai was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch for allegedly sending at least 21 bomb threat emails across 12 Indian states, including Gujarat. In the state, multiple schools, Narendra Modi cricket stadium and BJ Medical College were among the institutes targeted by Rene Joshilda's threat mail. The accused, Joshilda, an electrical engineer by qualification working with Deloitte USI in Chennai allegedly acted out of revenge after the man she secretly loved got married on Feb 25, police officials said. To implicate him, she sent bomb threat emails either in his name or by accusing him of involvement in a rape case where the police failed to act. A senior officer from the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime police said the woman was obsessed with a male colleague who was unaware of her feelings. Over the past two years, such was her obsession with her male colleague that she harassed women who interacted with him and even went to the extent of creating a fake marriage certificate of her marriage with the colleague and circulated it to all her office colleagues including herself. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo 'Used sophisticated tools to mask identity' "When they were working together, she used to create fake email accounts and harass any woman who showed any interest in her secret lover. In one case, she harassed a woman colleague suspecting her to be interested in the male colleague to the extent that she quit her job," said the police officer. In the past two years, Joshilda bought at least 80 numbers through VPN and is suspected to have sent hundreds of fake emails and messages. She was devastated when she found out that her "male interest" married another woman. In fact, this development proved the tipping point, throwing her into a spiral of revenge where she shot off a series of bomb hoax mails in a bid to create major police and legal trouble for the man, police said. Police said Joshilda used sophisticated cyber tools like VPNs, virtual numbers, and spoofed emails, along with dark web resources to mask her identity. She reportedly created multiple fake email accounts under male names to mislead investigators. H er targets included schools, hospitals, and stadiums in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and others. Ahmedabad police launched an investigation after one of the emails reached Geneva Liberal School in Sarkhej. Based on technical analysis, she was traced and arrested from Chennai. Joshilda sent such emails for over a year, carefully masking her identity. However, a small digital error during one of the email transmissions helped investigators identify her. Police retrieved several digital and documentary evidence from her possession and are investigating if others were involved. "She used dark web tools and spoofed emails to fake identities, but made one digital mistake that led us to her," said JCP Sharad Singhal. "She is skilled in cyber tools and meticulously tried to hide her tracks." Sources said that Joshilda mentioned the male colleague's name in at least half a dozen mails of bomb threat which led the cops to reach out to him. Joshilda was a suspect and technical surveillance confirmed that she was behind the slew of bomb hoax mails which had kept the authorities on their toes across states in the recent past. Police recovered devices, technical evidence, and fake accounts linked to 21 hoax threats. Further investigation is underway to verify if more people were involved.
