Two unsuspecting customers gave their debit card details on the fraudulent link and Rs 65,648 was debited from their accounts. The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Cyber Police traced and arrested one member from a gang of cyber fraudsters in Jharkhand who allegedly duped 26 customers of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) by impersonating officials of the power utility and tricking customers to reveal their bank details, which were later used to transfer money from their bank accounts.
The accused, Charku Mandal, 27, is a resident of Darbe village in Deoghar district. Mandal is a college dropout, runs a mobile shop and stays with his wife and child, police said. He and two other aides, who are on the run, targeted mobile numbers that were issued in Maharashtra.
They sent bulk messages on these numbers purported to be sent by MSEDCL asking people to pay their electricity dues and gave their own mobile number asking customers to call on it. Those who called the number were asked to make the payment on a fraudulent link purported to be of MSEDCL.
Two unsuspecting customers gave their debit card details on the fraudulent link and Rs 65,648 was debited from their accounts. They complained to MSEDCL after which an FIR was registered on January 20 this year. “On the same day, a cyber team was sent to Jharkhand and on January 29, we arrested the accused. In 2020, the accused was arrested in another cyber-crime case by Faridabad police in Delhi and granted bail in August 2021,” said Rashmi Karandikar, DCP, cyber.
“At least 26 customers of MSEDCL have been duped. We are trying to recover the money and trace other accused in the case,” added Inspector Suvarna Shinde.
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