Two men from Gujarat, Saiyad Soyab Jahid Bhai and Belim Anas Rahim Bhai, were apprehended by Hyderabad Police in connection with a ‘digital arrest’ scheme that extorted over Rs 1.95 crore from a woman. The Cyber Crime Police disclosed that the accused individuals played a significant role in the cyber fraud by utilizing multiple mule bank accounts to receive and withdraw the ill-gotten money, which was later funneled to cyber fraudsters in Dubai through Hawala networks, as stated by V. Aravind Babu, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime Police Station.
The Cyber Crime police initiated action following a complaint from the victim on December 13, reporting that she fell prey to a ‘digital arrest’ ruse. The victim was bombarded with calls from unidentified individuals posing as government and telecom officials, falsely implicating her husband in serious crimes and threatening immediate arrest, inducing fear and distress.
The fraudsters, through a series of scripted calls assuming various identities, managed to gain the victim’s trust and coerced her into transferring money under the pretense of verifying currency serial numbers, conducting a case inquiry, and completing a clearance process. Succumbing to the pressure, the victim transferred a staggering amount of Rs 1,95,76,000 via RTGS from her bank accounts to the accounts specified by the fraudsters.
Jahid Bhai was involved in setting up mule bank accounts for fraudulent activities, overseeing the withdrawal of fraud proceeds, and receiving a 15% commission on deposits channeled through the mule accounts under his supervision. On the other hand, Rahim Bhai followed the directives of higher-level operatives, managed mule accounts, and ensured seamless transfer of funds to overseas fraudsters via Hawala channels.
The arrested individuals have a history of cyber offenses, with the accounts linked to them implicated in 22 cases. Transactions amounting to around Rs 3.5 crore were conducted through the accounts provided by the fraudsters.
