The Delhi Police on Monday busted multiple interstate cyber fraud modules operating from Jharkhand’s notorious cybercrime hubs of Jamtara and Deoghar, as well as Delhi-NCR, and arrested 10 alleged cyber fraudsters involved in online scams worth more than Rs 26 lakh, officials said.
The police recovered 14 mobile phones, a laptop, digital evidence, and a Mahindra Thar Roxx SUV allegedly purchased with the proceeds of crime while solving four cyber fraud cases.
According to the police, the syndicate used sophisticated APK malware, impersonation scams and remote access techniques to target gullible victims. The accused allegedly posed as bank officials, persuaded victims to install malicious APK files through WhatsApp, gained unauthorised access to their mobile phones, stole internet banking credentials, intercepted OTPs and siphoned money from their bank accounts.
The biggest case involved the cheating of a senior citizen of Rs 18.50 lakh. According to the e-FIR, fraudsters allegedly contacted the victim while posing as bank officials and offered help in obtaining a Senior Citizen Card. They sent a forged identity card through WhatsApp and persuaded the victim to install a malicious APK file.
Once the mobile phone was compromised, the accused allegedly transferred Rs 18.50 lakh through multiple unauthorised banking transactions.
A dedicated police team carried out a detailed technical investigation. Through digital analysis, transaction tracking and sustained surveillance, investigators traced the accused to remote villages in Jamtara and Deoghar.
Despite difficult terrain and repeated attempts by the accused to evade arrest, the team arrested the alleged kingpin, Manjoor Alam (29), a resident of Karmatar in Jamtara, along with five associates accused of arranging mule bank accounts to route the defrauded money.
The police said Alam played a key role in carrying out unauthorised internet banking transactions. Digital evidence established the procurement of mule accounts, the movement of funds and coordination with other members of the syndicate. Investigators recovered a Mahindra Thar Roxx allegedly bought with the proceeds of crime, six mobile phones and other digital evidence from the accused.
In another case, a complainant who had applied online for a credit card was allegedly duped of Rs 1,01,998 after receiving a call from a fraudster posing as a bank official. The victim was persuaded to install a malicious APK file on the pretext of completing KYC formalities, allowing the accused to gain access to his banking credentials.
Technical investigation led the police to Jharkhand, where Ravindra Kumar Mandal (25) was arrested from Hazaribagh on June 5 pursuant to non-bailable warrants. The police recovered three mobile phones and a laptop from his possession.
