logo
Hyderabad: Teen held for impersonating officials

Hyderabad: Teen held for impersonating officials

Hans India05-06-2025
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested a 19-year-old from Rajasthan for allegedly impersonating senior IAS and IPS officers.
Police arrested Arbaj Khan, from Bahadurpur patti Meeran, Alwar, Rajasthan. Arbaj created several fake Facebook profiles, introducing himself as senior government officials and fraudulently obtaining money from his contacts. He is involved in two cases in Telangana.
According to police, on May 12, the Cyber Crime Police received a complaint from a senior bureaucrat regarding the creation of a fake Facebook profile in his name. The fraudulent account was used to send friend requests and solicit money from the complainant's friends and relatives. The accused also used the complainant's photographs to create multiple fake profiles, falsely claiming to be a CRPF officer, and sent inappropriate and misleading messages, thereby tarnishing the reputation of high-ranking government officials and misleading the public.
He created fake Facebook and WhatsApp accounts in the names of IAS and IPS officers, trapping their colleagues and extorting money from them. He was creating fake display pictures (DPs) and impersonating them to collect money from their officials.
A team led by Inspector of Police N Ramu cracked the case.
The cyber crime police have advised the general public to remain vigilant and not to fall prey to messages or friend requests on social media platforms that claim to be from senior government officials and request money.
Always verify the authenticity of such communications through official channels. Never send money to any such persons without proper verification of their genuineness..
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cops Bust Int'l Drug Cartel Run On Delivery App Model
Cops Bust Int'l Drug Cartel Run On Delivery App Model

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Cops Bust Int'l Drug Cartel Run On Delivery App Model

New Delhi: Blowing the lid off a major drug ring active in Delhi-NCR's party circuits, Delhi Police crime branch seized cocaine, MDMA and OG ganja worth over Rs 100 crore, and arrested five foreign nationals. The syndicate was led by notorious Nigerian kingpin Callistus and had a highly organised structure, which utilised encrypted WhatsApp channels, forged documents and Indian-based foreign nationals for last-mile drug deliveries. Special commissioner (crime) Devesh Shrivastava said that the syndicate had a presence in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. "They operated using a call centre model via WhatsApp and facilitated food delivery app-style deliveries using live locations through foot soldiers," Shrivastava added. Police seized a sedan and Rs 2 lakh in cash, besides mobiles, passports, 2,700 grams of Colombian cocaine, 1,000 grams of MDMA and over 1 kg of OG ganja. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The operation began with a raid at a courier facility in west Delhi's Moti Nagar, where 895 grams of MDMA, concealed among samples of Indian suits and ladies' shoes packaging, was intercepted. "The parcel's trail was followed through puzzles of fake addresses and different IDs and finally led to Cameroonian national Kameni Philipp, the cartel's India operations head. We seized cocaine in its purest form, which was moulded into compressed bricks with waterproof packaging. His interrogation blew open the cartel's core structure—revealing a tight-knit operation directly linked to Callistus, a Nigerian national controlling the global supply chain from West Africa," said Mangesh Kashyap, additional commissioner (crime). The investigation by ACP Bhagwati Prasad's team led to the arrest of three Nigerian nationals identified as Godwin John, Kelechi Chikwe and Ibe Chinedu Austin, besides Koulaie Philippe, alias Tall Guy, from Cote d'Ivoire. According to Kashyap, the syndicate's modus operandi included smuggling pure cocaine into India using female Indian nationals as carriers, exploiting their lower risk profile at international borders. Upon entry into India, the consignment was received by Philipp, who passed them on to level-A distributors like Godwin John. John chemically adulterated the pure cocaine in a 1:4 ratio using neutral cutting agents, transforming 1 kg of pure cocaine into approximately 5 kg of street-grade cocaine. The adulterated product was then distributed to level-B operatives such as Ibe, alias Victor, who released the stock on a weekly basis to level-C peddlers who conducted final deliveries to end users. Weekly payments were collected from these lower-level operatives and passed up the hierarchy. "Handlers in Nigeria maintained centralised customer databases, ensuring that if a foot soldier was arrested, he could be quickly replaced without loss of customer data or disruption to operations," the additional CP said. The investigation also unravelled a major money laundering operation. According to police, the collected drug proceeds in India were laundered via an informal currency exchange network. "Indians residing in Nigeria who wished to send money to India paid the equivalent amount in Naira to the syndicate. Their relatives in India received the corresponding sum in Indian Rupees, thus bypassing formal banking channels," said DCP Harsh Indora.

Gang involved in digi arrest cases busted; three arrested
Gang involved in digi arrest cases busted; three arrested

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Gang involved in digi arrest cases busted; three arrested

Lucknow: Lucknow Police arrested three members of a pan-India cyber fraud gang involved in at least 67 scams across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh worth over Rs 100 crore. The gang was also involved in a recent case in the city where a 73-year-old woman was duped of Rs 56 lakh. Among those arrested are Mohammed Zaid, a law student from a private university, Chitransh Kunwar, a medical equipment businessman from Indiranagar, and Mohan Kumar Rawat of Sugamau. They used fake identities, forged court documents, and a numberless SUV posing as a legal vehicle to avoid suspicion. The kingpin, Sameer Ansari alias Munna Bhaiya, is currently absconding, and efforts are ongoing to trace him, said additional DCP, Cyber Cell, Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar. Kumar said that the gang came under the scanner after Rita Bhasin, a resident of IT Colony in Aishbagh, lodged a complaint on July 18. She was targeted by fraudsters posing as CBI officials who claimed her Aadhaar and mobile number were linked to criminal activity and that an FIR was registered in Andheri East, Mumbai. The scam further escalated when the caller initiated a WhatsApp video call, during which one of the fraudsters, dressed in a police uniform, aggressively threatened her, citing alleged links to a money laundering case and the possibility of jail time. According to the complaint, the victim, already in a state of anxiety, was coerced into isolating herself in a private space where she was forced to remain in view of a video camera. The fraudster even went as far as providing an "Supreme Court bank account" number, assuring her that transferring 99% of her funds would later be "recovered" following an investigation. Throughout the process, the culprits bolstered their deception by sending fake arrest warrants and court orders as further evidence of their fabricated authority. DCP Kumar added that the arrested individuals were found to have been using their vehicle—stripped of its number plate—to travel for money collection activities. "Investigations have so far uncovered 67 cases of similar fraud across different states, with the recovered funds funnelled into bank accounts provided by the accused," he said. Probe into the scam revealed that members of the gang communicated through a private group chat.

CBI busts cyber fraud network targeting US citizens in Mumbai and Pune, arrests 3 accused
CBI busts cyber fraud network targeting US citizens in Mumbai and Pune, arrests 3 accused

Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

CBI busts cyber fraud network targeting US citizens in Mumbai and Pune, arrests 3 accused

Mumbai: CBI has busted a cyber fraud network operating in the city and Pune targeting US citizens with the arrest of three people who posed as officials from the US Internal Revenue Service, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Indian High Commission. The victims were coerced into paying amounts ranging from $500 to $3,000 through gift cards or Bitcoin transfers. The fraudulent calls were made using spoofed VoIP-based systems from an illegally operated call centre located in Pune, CBI said. The fraudsters were reportedly generating Rs 4 crore per month through the fraudulent activities and laundering the proceeds via fake accounts established with the assistance of bank officials. CBI is investigating the group's US-based associates who allegedly supplied the personal details of the victims. CBI searched seven locations, including Mumbai and Pune, and seized 27 mobile phones, 17 laptops, Rs 11 lakh, and 150gm of narcotic substances from one of the residences. They also found cryptocurrency worth Rs 6.9 lakh in the e-wallet on the accused's phone. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai On Friday, the three arrested accused were produced before a special judge for CBI cases in Mumbai, which remanded them to CBI custody until July 30. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo Employees at the call centre were compensated in cash routed through hawala channels from both the US and domestic locations, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, said the CBI. These employees were accommodated in residential flats across Pune. The operations involved the illegal procurement of contact leads via vendors on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal. Victims were contacted through toll-free numbers generated and distributed by these vendors, ultimately connecting them to the fraudulent call centre.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store