Remote e-classes now from Jamtara, Mewat king cons

AHMEDABAD: The pros of all cons are mentoring the next generation of cybercrooks to keep their legacy alive - and as expected from Jamtara and Mewat gangs thriving on the internet's dark side, apprentices can sign up for online remote classes.
Seasoned gang members have been training aspiring fraudsters in a wide range of cybercrimes such as SIM cloning, financial frauds, AI, and sextortion techniques, Gujarat police sources said after learning that three men from Banaskantha were schooled in Jharkhand's Jamtara to pull off banking frauds. The trio was involved in a SIM cloning racket.
Sources said cybercriminals were advertising their training programmes with videos on social media groups, mainly Telegram. Their target is unemployed youngsters looking at con jobs as a lucrative career option. Investigators have found instances of criminals from various states congregating in Haryana's Mewat, the epicentre of sextortion-related offences, to skill themselves with tricks of the trade. Plus, learn to stay one step ahead of the law, for some time at least. Mewat as a region straddles parts of Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.
"Jamtara became the hotspot of financial cyber frauds in 2017-2018. Many of the accused have shifted their base after police and agencies stepped up surveillance in the region. They have started training others for which they charge commissions," said an officer.
These fraudsters also help with logistical support. "After a crime using cyber tools, the accused usually dispose of phones and SIM cards. There are gangs in Bengal that provide phones and SIMs for crimes. Cybercriminals from Jamtara and Mewat help the trainees contact those gangs," said another officer.
Students at Mewat crime academies learn to make deepfake pornographic videos of people targeted for sextortion. Commissions are based on the rookies' success rate.
How much do mentors charge? What's the tuition fee? A police officer said that the business of deception runs purely on trust. "They usually charge commissions in the range of 5-10% for each cheating case. If a novice betrays his mentor, he will be out of business."