The Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu police have arrested 12 cyber criminals involved in a wide array of cybercrimes like online investment fraud, scholarship scam and digital arrest scam from across the country.
According to a press release, a special team was formed to investigate a case where a doctor walked into the trap of the suspects and lost Rs 87 lakh. The gang of eight suspects involved in an online trading investment scam with Sri Lankan links were apprehended. The victim was lured by an enticing offer advertised through a fake Facebook page promising high return on investment.
Sahabudeen (44), Shahid Afridy (27), Musthaq Ahamed (24), Mohamed Usman (67) and four others were arrested. The police seized electronic gadgets and communication devices from them.
In another case relating to scholarship scam, the cyber crime police conducted an operation in Delhi and arrested three suspects Ashu Kumar (29), Anuj Kumar Jha (21) and Shubham Kumar (22) directly involved in the offence.
In another case, a victim residing in Vellore received a WhatsApp video call in the name of “Mumbai Police” which was a typical Digital arrest scam. The complainant was threatened to send all bank details to verify the serial numbers of the currency. In the process, he transferred Rs 2.72 crore to the bank accounts given by the fraudsters in three days.
During the course of investigation, it was found that the cheated amount of Rs 1.3 crore was credited to an account in Kerala, which belonged to a trading firm owned by one Manju. When police questioned, she revealed that she opened a bank account at the instigation of her second husband Imthiaz Shah who, investigators later found, was actively involved in the offence. The accused person along with his associates operated from Thiruvananthapuram.
It was found that 99 complaints had been registered against this account from across India. The accused Imthiaz Shah was arrested, the release said.
Published - April 23, 2025 12:23 am IST
