Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 13: Cyber Police Kashmir Zone today claimed to have busted a KYC fraud gang that was operating to cause financial losses to the people.
It said that multiple complaints regarding KYC frauds were received wherein the victims received unsolicited communications in form of calls and SMS, urging them to call on some provided numbers for updating their KYC.
On receiving such complaints, Cyber Police Kashmir registered FIR No. 19/2021 and started investigations.
During the investigation, Cyber Police Kashmir Zone Srinagar tracked down two persons involved in such crimes who were arrested from a rented accommodation at the New Theed Harwan area of Srinagar.
They have been identified as Mohammad Hanzala Beigh son of Mohd Shafi resident of Court Road Vailoo, Kokernag and Mohammad Rajab Khan son of Ali Mohammad resident of Wairad, Kokernag.
“During preliminary investigation, it came to fore that for illegal monetary gains, the accused persons in connivance with non-local cybercriminals operating from UP, Bihar and other states in organised ways to cheat/defraud gullible citizens,” the police said.
The police said that when the unaware victims follow their directions and make recharge payments, they receive messages related to the withdrawal of money from their bank accounts. “Lakhs of rupees have been siphoned by the Cyber Criminals in Kashmir valley through these frauds.”
The typical mode of operation in such cases, police said, usually includes that these fraudsters withdraw money from the accounts of victims and transfer it to bank accounts based in different parts of the country and ultimately withdraw it.
“But a very unusual modus operandi was found wherein Kashmir based bank accounts were found involved in this incident. The two arrested accused were found to have created dozens of local bank accounts fraudulently and have provided the same along with their ATM Cards to the co-accused located outside the state,” police said.
It added that most of the bank accounts have been created in the name of destitute women from South Kashmir and Srinagar who have been provided with some monetary benefits by the arrested persons.
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