2 from Jharkhand held for duping 50 people in cyber fraud

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested two men, including a BTech graduate, from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district for allegedly duping over 50 people by impersonating bank officials and exploiting screen-sharing features during fake credit card KYC verification, police said on Sunday

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested two men, including a BTech graduate, from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district for allegedly duping over 50 people by impersonating bank officials and exploiting screen-sharing features during fake credit card KYC verification, police said on Sunday.

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Police identified the accused as Aftab Ansari, 24, the BTech, and Abdul Majid, 23, both residents of Borwa village in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district.

According to police, the two allegedly used stolen credit card details to purchase high-end mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees through e-commerce platforms before selling them at discounted prices in local markets.

“The case came to light after a complaint by a man, Taranjeet Singh, who alleged that unidentified callers posing as bank officials had contacted him on phone and WhatsApp claiming that his credit card KYC details needed updating. He was allegedly persuaded to share his card details, following which unauthorised transactions were carried out,” said deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) RP Meena.

Investigation revealed that a smartphone worth ₹1.39 lakh had been purchased through a credit card transaction, and delivered to Dhanbad’s Jharia area, said police.

A team from Delhi’s Shahdara district cyber police station then conducted a four-day operation in the state, using technical surveillance, local intelligence and field verification to track the suspects, officials said.

“To apprehend them, investigators coordinated with a delivery agent and arranged a decoy mobile phone delivery at a location allegedly used by the suspects. As the two arrived to collect the purported delivery, they were arrested,” the DCP said.

Police confiscated total three phones from the duo with the devices allegedly containing WhatsApp conversations and other digital material. The devices are being examined for further evidence, officials said.

During interrogation, Ansari purportedly revealed that he indulged in such fraud after learning from others known to him and for quick money, they added.

Regarding the modus operandi, investigators said the accused and their associates allegedly circulated advertisements on social media, including Facebook, offering assistance with credit card KYC updates. People responding to the advertisements were directed to online forms seeking personal and contact details, which were allegedly used to identify potential victims.

The suspects would then pose as bank officials and offer to complete KYC verification through video calls. Victims were allegedly induced to display their credit card numbers and CVV details on camera and share their phone screens, allowing fraudsters to view OTPs and carry out unauthorised transactions, said officials.

The phones purchased using the compromised cards were allegedly delivered to locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal, away from the accused’s home district, and later sold at lower prices, they added.