A cyber fraud investigation in Dhanbad has uncovered an alleged operation targeting UCO Bank customers through fake KYC calls. Police have arrested 4 people, including 3 adults and 1 minor, and are searching for 9 more suspects believed to be linked to the network.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly posed as bank officials and told customers that their KYC details were incomplete or outdated. They allegedly warned victims that their accounts could be closed or banking services suspended if they failed to update their details.
After creating a sense of urgency, the fraudsters allegedly obtained one-time passwords (OTPs) sent to victims’ phones and used them to transfer money through digital wallets.
Police have recovered 5 smartphones, several SIM cards and a Google Sheet containing mobile numbers and bank account numbers of several UCO Bank customers. The raids were conducted under the leadership of the Nirsa Sub-Divisional Police Officer.
The arrested accused have been identified as Prem Ravidas and Binod Ravidas of Tilatoliya in Nirsa, Gulab Ravidas of Kharkhabad in Govindpur, and Ayush Singh of Layakdih in Chirakunda. The minor has been sent to a juvenile observation home.
Investigators have alleged that Singh played a key role in supplying SIM cards. He reportedly used his identity documents to obtain SIM cards and later sold them to cybercriminals at higher prices. Police are investigating the 27 SIM cards issued from a shop in Chirakunda and trying to determine who received them and how many fraudulent transactions were carried out using them.
Police also suspect that the gang had access to a database of bank customers. Investigators are examining how the customer information was obtained and whether it came from an internal source or another illegal channel.
The recovered Google Sheet is being examined to determine how the customer data was used to identify potential victims. The 5 smartphones and SIM cards are also undergoing digital analysis for call records, messages, contacts, transactions and communications with other suspected members.
Investigators are tracing the financial trail to identify the bank accounts and digital wallets that allegedly received the money and determine how the funds were later withdrawn or transferred.
Police are searching for 9 other suspects and investigating whether the alleged operation was limited to Dhanbad or extended to customers in other districts and states. The number of SIM cards and the presence of organised customer data have raised concerns about the scale of the operation.
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