'A huge network of cyber scams in India', ED filed chargesheet in digital arrest case; Know some shocking revelations

The ED said that some of the victims of this scam were 'digitally arrested' by the accused by posing as Customs and CBI officers, then forced them to transfer huge amounts of money to shell companies. The ED said that the accused obtained hundreds of SIM cards to carry out the fraud which were either linked to the bank accounts of shell companies or were used to create WhatsApp accounts. Due to these anonymous SIM cards, the fraudsters are able to deceive the victims, and the risk of their immediate arrest is reduced.

The ED said the accused had created 24 shell companies in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and some other states to receive and legalize the money obtained from cyber crimes. These shell companies are mainly registered on coworking spaces where no real business exists. As proof of starting the business, they had filed fake bank statements before the Registrar of Companies. ED investigation found that the accused converted the money received into cryptocurrency and subsequently transferred the same abroad. ED had filed a chargesheet in this case on October 10 and the court took cognizance of the same on October 29.

In a new advisory issued on Sunday, the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Center has called upon people to be doubly cautious about 'digital arrest'. It mentioned that persons making video calls are not police, CBI, customs officers or judges, but cybercriminals. The organization that works under the Union Home Ministry asked people, in its advisory, not to fall prey to these 'tricks' and immediately report such crimes on the National Cyber ​​Crime Helpline 1930 or on the official portal related to cyber crimes. It was an issue of 'digital arrest' that Prime Minister Modi had raised in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on 27 October.