Latest news with #CyberPoliceStation
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Kolkata Police arrests six for operating fake call centre
K olkata: The Cyber Police Station on Tuesday arrested six persons for allegedly operating an illegal call centre that targeted US residents through various tech support scams. The arrests were made between 4 am and 4:35 am at a ground floor facility on Diamond Harbour Road. The accused have been identified as Aman Sharma (25), Deepak Singh (26), Rahul Das (30), Avinash Singh (21), Sudhir Kumar Mahato (28), and Pratik Kumar Singh (27). The cops stated that the accused used organised money transfer routes and even cryptocurrency to trick their victims. According to police, the suspects posed as representatives of Microsoft and Norton, making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to US residents. They allegedly defrauded victims by gaining remote access to their computers and siphoning money from their accounts. "The group operated a sophisticated scam operation using advanced technology to appear legitimate to their victims," said a senior cyber police official who requested anonymity as the investigation is ongoing. Police recovered ₹3,50,500 in cash, five laptops, nine mobile phones, and three multimedia headphones from the premises. Additional evidence, including VoIP diallers and remote access software, were also seized. The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and BNS Act, 2023, including provisions related to computer-related offences, identity theft, and cheating by personation. "This arrest highlights our ongoing efforts to combat cyber fraud operations targeting international victims," the official added. "We urge citizens to remain vigilant and never share remote access to their devices with unknown callers." The suspects were produced before the court on Tuesday with a police remand request. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the full extent of the financial losses and identify potential additional perpetrators.
India Gazette
30-05-2025
- India Gazette
Delhi: Cyber Police arrests man for blackmailing, sexually exploiting woman for 3 years
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): The Cyber Police Station in Delhi's Shahdara arrested a 37-year-old man, Himanshu Arora, for allegedly blackmailing, threatening, and sexually exploiting a woman over three years using fake Instagram accounts and email IDs. The victim, a resident of New Govindpura in Delhi, lodged a complaint detailing how the accused manipulated her into sharing private photos and videos and later used them to harass and extort her. The case dated May 28, 2025 (FIR No. 41/25) was registered under Sections 75, 77, 78, 79, 308(2) BNS and Sections 66E, 67, 67A of the IT Act. A dedicated team was formed for investigation under Inspector Shiv Prakash, with the guidance of Inspector Vijay Kumar, SHO Cyber Shahdara, and ACP Gurudev Singh. According to the complaint, the victim met Himanshu Arora on Instagram in 2021. Over time, he emotionally manipulated her into sharing sensitive content. Later, she began receiving threats, vulgar messages, and extortion attempts from multiple fake social media accounts. The woman revealed that the harassment included fake profiles made using her private pictures, coercion during Instagram and Google Meet video calls. The blackmailer threatened with kidnapping, acid attack, and harm to her family and demanded extortion of Rs 1 lakh. After the fake legal messages linked her to criminal cases and FIRs, She said, 'He told me his laptop had been damaged and claimed a technician might have stolen the data. But the harassment never stopped.' The cyber cell also traced nine fake Instagram accounts and one Gmail ID used in the blackmail. Technical analysis and data from Meta and Google helped the team trace the phone number 7011684572, linked to the fake accounts. Though the number was registered in Himanshu Arora's mother's name, it was found to be used by Himanshu himself. The accused was apprehended on May 29, 2025, and during interrogation, he confessed to the creation of fake profiles, the sharing of explicit content, and sexually exploiting the victim. Himanshu Arora, a graduate from Delhi University, worked in his family business in Shahdara. Police seized two mobile phones, which contained three nude and semi-nude photos of the victim, one screenshot of a fake Instagram ID with a password, and a laptop used in the crime. In a public appeal, the Delhi Police urged social media users, particularly young women and minors, to be cautious while sharing personal content online. 'The Cyber Crime Unit remains committed to ensuring a safe digital environment and bringing such perpetrators to justice,' said Prashant Gautam, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara District. The accused has been sent to judicial custody, and investigations are ongoing to identify any additional victims or accomplices. (ANI)
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad man held for Rs 47 lakh online fraud
1 2 Bhubaneswar: The cyber wing of the state crime branch on Tuesday arrested a man from Hyderabad for allegedly defrauding a 66-year-old man of Rs 47 lakh through a deceitful online investment scheme . The accused, Syad Iqbal Hussain (45), who runs a catering business in Hyderabad, had received the majority of the defrauded amount in his bank account. According to police, the victim, a retired private company executive, came across an investment opportunity advertised on a social media platform in Jan 2024. After expressing interest, he was added to a group on an instant messaging app by an unknown person. The fraudsters initially convinced him to make small investments, which appeared to yield high returns, gradually building his confidence. He was then persuaded to invest larger sums. Between Jan and May 2024, the victim invested a total of Rs 47 lakh without verifying the authenticity of the platform. He had been promised returns exceeding Rs 1 crore within two to three weeks. The scammers displayed artificially inflated values of his investments via a fake e-wallet. When he attempted to withdraw his funds, they demanded additional deposits. Despite complying, he was unable to access his money. Realising he had been duped, the victim lodged a complaint at the Cyber Police Station on May 21, 2024. An investigation was launched, and the accused was tracked down through digital forensics and surveillance. "Our investigation revealed the involvement of a gang of scammers linked to a larger interstate cybercrime organisation. They were primarily involved in setting up mule bank accounts to receive funds from victims. Some also created fake social media profiles to lure targets. Hussain is one of their members," a senior crime branch official said. Police said efforts are on to trace the masterminds, who are suspected to be operating from a foreign country. "We are trying to identify the key orchestrators abroad. Several accounts with substantial deposits have been frozen. Multiple phones, debit cards, cheque books, and SIM cards have also been seized," the official added.
India Gazette
20-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Delhi: Cyber Police bust investment fraud ring impersonating Aditya Birla Capital
New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): In a significant breakthrough, the Cyber Police Station of Delhi's Outer North District has busted an elaborate online investment fraud operation, leading to the arrest of 29-year-old Jitendra Sharma. The accused allegedly ran a racket that impersonated Aditya Birla Capital through fake trading applications and duped multiple victims across North India out of nearly Rs 48 lakh. The investigation was launched following a formal complaint from Vinay Singhal, who alleged that he was deceived through a fraudulent investment platform operating under the name 'Aditya Birla Group Investment Group.' The complainant had been contacted via Instagram and WhatsApp and was coaxed into downloading a fake trading app that closely resembled the genuine Aditya Birla Capital interface. According to police, once the victim began transferring money, believing he was investing in a legitimate scheme, the fraudsters diverted the funds into various shell-company and personal accounts. The network also used dormant bank accounts purchased from individuals to facilitate swift fund transfers and withdrawals, making tracking difficult. The FIR in the case was registered on March 17, 2025, under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators later received two more related complaints, all of which pointed to a coordinated scheme that swindled unsuspecting investors of a cumulative Rs48 lakh. Through digital footprint analysis and tracing of Know Your Customer (KYC) documents, Delhi Cyber Police unearthed Sharma's direct involvement in the fraud. He allegedly provided the corporate bank accounts of his firm, OZOS Services India Pvt. Ltd., held in IDFC First Bank and HSBC Bank, in exchange for monetary compensation. Sharma is reported to be the managing director of the company and a direct beneficiary of the illicit funds. The police team conducted a raid on May 16, 2025, in Vangaon, Palghar district of Maharashtra, where Sharma was hiding while out on bail in a previous cyber fraud case registered by Faridabad Police. During the operation, officials seized crucial evidence, including four mobile phones, a laptop, an Apple Watch, debit cards, pen drives containing transaction data, cheque books, a bank passbook, a company stamp, and Rs80,000 in cash. Authorities have confirmed that Sharma's bank accounts have been flagged in at least 46 complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Further investigation is underway.(ANI)
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
WhatsApp of Union minister's spouse hacked, diplomats targeted in suspected cyberattack; Delhi police launches probe
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police registered a case and launched an investigation after the WhatsApp account of a Union Minister' s wife was hacked, leading to fraudulent money demands being sent to her contacts. According to a formal complaint submitted to the Cyber Police Station in New Delhi by a senior official from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas , the incident began on May 1. Unaware of the deception, she shared a one-time password ( OTP ) with someone posing as a known contact who claimed to have mistakenly sent it. The hacker then gained control of her WhatsApp account. Following the breach, several of her contacts, including senior diplomats and ambassadors, received fraudulent messages from her number, requesting Rs 20,000 transfers to two mobile-linked UPI accounts. Operation Sindoor 'Pakistan army moving its troops in forward areas': Key takeaways from govt briefing 'Pak used drones, long-range weapons, jets to attack India's military sites' 'Attempted malicious misinformation campaign': Govt calls out Pakistan's propaganda According to the complaint, the ambassadors later reported that their WhatsApp accounts were also compromised, raising concerns about a broader, coordinated cyberattack targeting high-level bureaucrats and diplomats. The compromised WhatsApp account was promptly disabled, and two-factor authentication was enabled to prevent further unauthorised access. However, another hacking attempt was reported on May 3. An official case was registered, and investigations are ongoing.
