Punjab Police has arrested 7 Nigerian nationals in Mohali. They used to run a fake call center in a rented house and dupe people through social media. They had duped married people of Rs 15 crore by blackmailing them by showing obscene chats. Police have registered a case under Section 318(4), 61(2) of BNS and Section 66 of IT Act. Goods worth about Rs 2.10 crore have been recovered from their possession.
Mohali SSP Harmandeep Hans said that the accused have been arrested under the supervision of DSP Rupinderdeep Kaur Sohi. Police investigation revealed that the accused used to introduce themselves as pilots and engineers on Facebook.
They used to create fake profiles on Facebook
SSP Harmandeep said that the fraudsters used to create fake foreign profiles on Facebook and Instagram. Then they would make friends with women and men and gain their trust and lure them by promising to send expensive gifts or dollars. Later they would ask for money in the name of customs or tax. If no one fell into their trap, the accused in many cases blackmailed married people by showing their obscene chats or photos.
Many shocking facts have come to light in the preliminary investigation of the gang of foreign thugs caught by Mohali Cyber Police. The investigation has revealed that this gang was targeting citizens of different states of India through social media. The accused used to create fake profiles on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram by claiming themselves to be foreign citizens, in which they showed themselves as a foreign boy or girl.
Police seized these items
79 smartphones
2 laptops, 2 Mac books
99 Indian and foreign SIM cards
31 fake bank accounts
Mohali SSP Harmandeep Hans while giving a press conference.
Network spread in many states
SSP Mohali Harmandeep Hans said that many shocking revelations have been made in the investigation. This international cyber thug gang has made people victims on a large scale across the country. The network of the gang was spread to many states of the country and it was working in a completely organized manner. He told that:
Fraud with more than 350 Indian citizens has been confirmed. The accused befriended people through social media and lured them by promising to send them expensive foreign gifts and dollars. Then money was extorted in the name of custom duty, tax or documents.
The total amount of fraud has reached about 15 crore rupees. Rs 30 thousand to Rs 3 lakh was extorted from each victim. In some cases this amount has been found to be even more.
Married women and men were the main targets. They were trapped by building an emotional relationship on social media. Later they were blackmailed by threatening to make private chats and photos viral.
The gang ran a fake call center in India. This call center was being run in a rented house in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh from where foreign citizens were targeting people across the country.
Mohali Police appeal:
Do not befriend unknown foreign profiles.
Do not send money in the name of any gift or dollar.
Immediately report any suspicious activity to Cyber Crime Police Station Mohali.
