Four held in Delhi for cheating via fake FB accounts, WhatsApp calls
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Dec, 2022 02:16 PM
New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) With the arrest of four miscreants, the South Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a gang of Cyber conmen, including Indian and Nigerian nationals, who used to cheat people via International WhatsApp call.
The accused used to cheat people on the pretext of sending them gifts by making fake Facebook profiles and calling them via International Whatsapp Number.
Those arrested have been identified as Smith Henry, alias Gabriel Udom Etuk, Wisdom Okafor, Sachin Rai and Zigmi Lama. Electronic devices used in the commission of crime have been recovered from their possession.
A senior police official said that they received a complaint in this respect from a 62-year-old woman that an unknown person sent her friend request. Later, the person shared one international WhatsApp number for chatting. After few days, the same person offered her valuable gifts like an Iphone, gold plated wrist watch etc.
"The same person also sent her a video of packaging and receipts of parcel delivery to gain the confidence of the complainant. After a few days, the complainant received a call wherein the person stated that he is from the Excise Department and Duty charges need to be paid to release the valuable items. On this pretext, a total of Rs 27 lakh were taken from the victim," the police said.
Later, the woman sensed that she had been cheated, and decided to approach the police. The police lodged an FIR after receiving her complaint and formed a team of elite officials to look into the matter.
During the course of investigation, the team started working relentlessly on various angles. The victim was inquired thoroughly to get more details.
It was learnt that the victim received a friend request on Facebook social media platform and then switched to WhatsApp. All the interaction happened through these two social media platforms.
The cheated money was transferred to various bank accounts in different cities. The team started collecting the details of the accused person from Facebook and WhatsApp. The details of bank accounts in which the money was deposited was concisely analysed.
Later, with the help of technical surveillance and manual information, Sachin Rai was held.
Sachin disclosed that he used to sell activated current bank accounts to Nigerian nationals.
He said that one of his aides was going to give one more bank account at GTB Enclave area. The team reached the GTB Enclave area and arrested three more persons including a Nigerian.
"Sachin and his aides have opened a lot of bank accounts in many banks and the bank accounts were supplied to the Nigerian Nationals. They then cheated the innocent people," said the police.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), Navjot Singh (30), Satpal Singh (28) and Gurpreet Kaur (30).
The ambidextrous sharpshooter, identified as Ankit alias Chhota, a resident of Sonipat in Haryana, was most desperate to commit the crime."He fired simultaneously from two pistols in his two hands," H.G.S. Dhaliwal, Special Commissioner (Special Cell), said during a media briefing.
With this the two-and-half year old, three-party Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress government experiment has collapsed, barely hours after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari ordered a floor test late on Tuesday night.
