Three arrested for duping 30 people on pretext of giving loans

Rajkot: Three online fraudsters were arrested for committing frauds worth lakhs of rupees in Shapar-Veraval industrial zone of Rajkot on Thursday.
Police said the accused, Bhavin Virani (27), Suhag Veshnani (28) and Jayesh Vadher (30), would publish advertisements in newspapers, inviting those interested in loans can approach them.
“When people contacted them, the accused would ask them their OTP number of their online banking accounts and siphon off money. So far, they have allegedly duped as many as 30 people,” said Ajaysinh Gohel, inspector with Rajkot rural special operation group.
“The accused would tell the victims to open their online banking accounts with the minimum of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 balance. Then they would ask the victims to share the OTP number when it was generated. If the victims had already had their online banking accounts, they would ask them their OTP numbers, telling them that they needed them for electronic clearing service,” said Gohel.
Gohel said that the modus operandi of the accused was that that they would never have the direct transfer of the victims’ money to their accounts. “They would put the victims’ money in bitcoins and later encash the bitcoins,” he said.
“The accused would frequently change their cellphone numbers. So far, they have changed 30 SIM cards and duped unsuspecting victims from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Morbi and Ahmedabad,” he added.