City police arrest man for running a fake visa portal
The scam came to light when an Indian national contacted the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Chennai on Jan 27, raising doubts about the authenticity of an E-7 visa grant notice he received. After verifying the notice, consulate officials said the document was forged.
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The QR code on the paper led to the
fake visa portal
. Korean deputy consul general Jee Hyoung Lee filed a complaint with the Chennai city commissioner of police.
Cyber Crime Branch (CCB) launched an investigation under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act, including Section 66-D for identity theft. They traced the fraudulent portal's operator, Parvez, to Mumbai with the help of domain service providers.
The police team conducted further inquiries in Bihar and Maharashtra before locating and arresting Parvez in Mumbai. He was produced before the XI metropolitan magistrate court in Saidapet and was remanded in judicial custody.
The authorities have shut down the fraudulent portal. The Korean consulate appreciated the swift action by CCB. Police are looking into the full extent of the scam.
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