BTech graduate held for running cyber fraud racket, selling banking data to fraudsters

He obtained confidential personal and banking details from the dark web and sold them to cyber fraudsters across several states through a Telegram channel he operated under the name Baba Kismatwale

A 28-year-old BTech graduate from Jharkhand’s cybercrime hub, Jamtara, has been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly running a nationwide data racket that obtained confidential personal and banking details from the dark web and sold them to cyber fraudsters across several states through a Telegram channel he operated under the name Baba Kismatwale, police said on Thursday.

Two others — one of them a 17-year-old boy — were apprehended for allegedly buying data from Mandal and using it to dupe people through various cyber scams. (Representational image)

The accused, identified as Niwash Kumar Mandal, allegedly ran the channel for over a year, charging ₹15,000 per member as a one-time fee to access the data. “He earned around ₹30 lakh through membership fees alone, and more by selling the personal information of thousands of individuals,” an officer said.

Two others — one of them a 17-year-old boy — were apprehended for allegedly buying data from Mandal and using it to dupe people through various cyber scams.

Explaining the modus operandi, police said the fraudsters posed as officials of the Delhi Jal Board, electricity departments, and banks to trick victims into installing malicious apps via links sent over text or WhatsApp. Once installed, these apps stole banking credentials and one-time passwords, allowing the criminals to drain the victims’ accounts.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said the investigation began after a Delhi resident lost ₹2 lakh to a fake DJB message threatening to disconnect his water connection. “The fraudsters sent him an APK file and tricked him into entering his banking details. The money was later siphoned off through a petroleum company’s prepaid card,” Bhaskar said.

Following the money trail, police traced the transactions to petrol pumps in Haryana’s Nuh, then to Jamtara. “Technical surveillance revealed the data came from someone in Kolkata. The suspect was identified as Mandal and arrested a fortnight ago. His interrogation led to the arrest of another accused, Pradhumn Kumar Mandal, 24, and the apprehension of a juvenile in Jamtara,” the DCP added.

Further interrogation revealed that Mandal, a BTech graduate in computer science from Arunachal Pradesh, turned to cybercrime about five years ago. He had previously been arrested in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai for similar offences, and was last released from a Mumbai jail in 2024.

“From a rented flat in an upscale Kolkata neighbourhood, for which he paid ₹40,000 a month, he sourced data from the dark web and sold it to cybercriminals through Telegram,” said another officer.

Police recovered nine mobile phones, five debit and credit cards, a MacBook, an iPad, and ₹47,800 in cash from his possession.