The Cyber Economics and Narcotics (CEN) crime police station of Mysuru district has cracked a ‘gift’ scam run by cyber fraudsters by arresting three persons from Bengaluru.
Addressing a media conference in Mysuru on January 9, Superintendent of Mysuru district police Seema Latkar said three persons from Assam have been arrested from Bengaluru while a few others, including a Nigerian national who is the mastermind in the cyber fraud, and his accomplice, are still at large.
An investigation into the cyber fraud was taken up by the CEN crime police station of Mysuru district after receiving a complaint from Himashwetha, a resident of Badanavalu in Nanjangud, who complained that she had been duped of ₹4.77 lakh by fraudsters, who had promised her valuable gifts.
The complainant said a person by name Robert Edgar befriended her on a social media platform on September 4, 2022. He identified himself as a resident of the U.K. and, subsequently, began to chat with her on WhatsApp. During the next few days, he offered to send her expensive gifts, including an iPhone, and said she could receive them after paying a fee at the airport in Delhi.
The complainant received phone calls from three numbers by persons claiming to be from the airport in Delhi with the caller asking for transfer of funds for the gifts meant for her. The complainant had transferred a total of ₹4.77 lakh from four different bank accounts between September 26 and October 6, 2022. But, she never received the promised gifts.
On realising that she had been duped, she lodged a complaint with the CEN crime police station of Mysuru district. A team of CEN crime police station, led by Inspector Shabbir Hussain, learnt that a Nigerian national was the mastermind of the fraud, and was assisted by a woman from Assam.
Investigations revealed that the woman had brought three persons from Assam to Bengaluru, and their Aadhaar cards were transferred to an address in Bengaluru.
Subsequently, 39 different bank accounts were opened in their names. The Nigerian had kept the ATM cards and passbooks of the accounts in his possession, but was drawing money from the accounts with the help of the three men from Assam, who would also receive some money for their services.
The Nigerian also had several SIM cards in the name of the trio, which were linked to their respective bank accounts. Police arrested the trio, who belong to Karimganj district in Assam. They are on the lookout for the Nigerian and his woman accomplice, who are still at large.
