The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has revealed a significant international cyber fraud network connected to Pakistan and Assam, with the arrest of two individuals allegedly involved in a fake Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) lottery scam. This operation duped a Surat resident of Rs 13.51 lakh. The investigation indicated that the fraudulent activity was purportedly orchestrated from Pakistan, while local operatives facilitated the financial transactions within India.

Reports indicate that the victim received calls claiming he had won a KBC lottery worth Rs 25 lakh. The scammers convinced him that he needed to pay various fees and charges to claim the supposed prize money. Trusting the claims, the victim transferred a total of Rs 13,51,450 across multiple transactions.

Upon realising he had been deceived, the victim lodged a complaint via the National Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930, prompting a formal investigation at the Surat City Cyber Crime Police Station. This action set in motion a series of investigative efforts to trace the alleged criminals.

Arrests Made After Extensive Investigation

Following technical leads, the Surat Cyber Crime team travelled nearly 2,500 kilometres to the Nagaon district in Assam, situated approximately 140 kilometres from Guwahati. Collaborating with local law enforcement and utilising human intelligence resources, the team conducted surveillance for around seven to eight days before apprehending two main suspects.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ejajul Haque, aged 24, a resident of Kochgaon involved in the fisheries business, and 27-year-old Muzaffar Ali, another local from the same village. Investigators discovered that bank accounts registered in Haque’s name were allegedly used to receive proceeds from the fraudulent activities.

Authorities revealed that Haque allowed Ali to use his State Bank of India account for a one per cent commission, while Ali reportedly forwarded the account to the primary operators for a two per cent commission. The pair allegedly withdrew funds using ATM and Paytm cards and redirected cash into other accounts as instructed by the masterminds behind the scam.

Connections to International Fraud Network

The cyber investigation also uncovered that the WhatsApp numbers used to contact the victim had Pakistani IP addresses. Furthermore, all bank accounts involved in receiving the fraudulent money were confirmed to be located in Assam, indicating a well-coordinated scheme. During the investigation, police seized a mobile phone from one of the suspects, unearthing chats allegedly connecting him to a handler based in Pakistan, identified as “Abdullah.”

Law enforcement indicated that the gang operated under the guise of KBC representatives using WhatsApp, employing forged documents to win the trust of potential victims. The scammers allegedly utilised fake letterheads featuring the logos of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), State Bank of India (SBI), and the Ministry of Power, complemented by counterfeit approval certificates on Rs 100 stamp paper.

Payments were demanded for various reasons, including processing fees, GST, tax charges, and other fabricated expenses. A review of records on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) further indicated that this network had targeted individuals beyond Surat, with active complaints connected to the same accounts in locations such as Kutiyana Police Station in Porbandar district, Gujarat, and Bariyatu Police Station in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Initial findings suggest the accounts facilitated lottery frauds totalling Rs 28,68,472 across India.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishakha Jain, the victim had received two calls, each claiming he had won lotteries of Rs 8.5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. He was misled into transferring approximately Rs 13.5 lakh to various accounts under the disguise of taxes and other fees. Subsequent technical analysis revealed that both calls originated from Pakistan, with a caller identifying himself as Abdullah, ultimately leading investigators to Haque and Ali.

The investigation is ongoing as police aim to identify and trace additional members of this alleged international cyber fraud network.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share