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Pune cyber cell arrest two for duping Americans in online fraud
Two men were arrested by the Pune police cyber crime cell for duping American citizens while posing as officials of the US department of the treasury. The two were
Two men were arrested by the Pune police cyber crime cell for duping American citizens while posing as officials of the US department of the treasury. The two were remanded to three days in police custody by a local court.
The two were identified as Akib Altaf Shaikh, 27, a resident of Saibabanagar in Kondhwa, and Sareem Aman Shaikh, 29, a resident of Babajan chowk in Camp, according to a statement issued by the cyber crime cell.
The two were found to be owners of a company, Kingston Media. They were found in an office registered in that name located in Place of Workshop building in Camp.
One of them called a number from the list of phone numbers they had, and instilled fear in the receiver about suspicious drug-smuggling-related activity on their social security number. Through the conversation, the caller would coax the social security number out of the receiver and then transfer the call to the other person who then claimed to be an official of the US department of the treasury.
The two took Walmart, E-bay, Target, Bestbuy gift cards in the form of settlement from the victims. The gift cards would be worth anywhere between $200-$500. The gift card contents were then converted into cash and transferred to their accounts, according to the police.
The police seized three mobile phones, 10 computer hard disks, three routers, eight headphones, a pen drive and 30 pages of screen shot printouts from their possession.
“The two have been active in the Camp location for the past two months. They may have been operating from some other location before that,” said senior police inspector Jayram Paigude of cyber crime cell.
A case under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (punishment for cheating), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code along with Sections 66(c), 66(D) and 75 of the Information Technology Act was registered at the cyber police station.
