Jamtara, Jharkhand (India), June 27 (ANI): The Cyber Cell of the South West District Police Station has apprehended a fraudster, Amrul Ansari, aged 24, from Jamtara, Jharkhand, for his involvement in a series of phishing scams targeting unsuspecting victims.
Ansari deceived individuals by impersonating customer care representatives, coercing them into transferring money.
On March 19, 2024, Neelam Gupta, a resident of Anand Niketan, Delhi, lodged a complaint after losing approximately Rs. 2 lakh. Gupta received a call regarding a delayed parcel from Indian Post, during which she was instructed to pay Rs. 3 through a WhatsApp link. After entering her details, her account was debited for Rs. 1,79,000 and an additional Rs. 21,000.
Further investigation revealed that the stolen funds were transferred to a Canara Bank account located in Mumbai.
Technical analysis traced the fraudulent activities back to Jamtara, uncovering multiple SIM cards linked to Ansari’s single device.
Following the leads, a police team conducted raids in Jamtara, leading to Ansari’s arrest and the recovery of four smartphones containing various SIM cards.
Ansari confessed to his involvement in the fraud and had a prior record of cybercrime.
Subsequent analysis also linked him to two additional complaints registered on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) portal.
Earlier on May 9, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Jharkhand government and fintech companies to redirect local talent engaged in cybercrimes towards ethical hacking. In her address to the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce in Ranchi, she highlighted the potential for financial regulators and the government to engage these individuals in the fight against cyber fraud.
From 2019 to July 2023, Jharkhand has reported 5,350 cybercrime cases, with notable occurrences in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Jamshedpur, and Hazaribagh. Despite a slight decline, the state recorded 967 cases in 2022, ranking it second in the nation for cybercrime incidents.
Jamtara, often referred to as the “phishing capital of India,” accounts for 2.4% of the country’s total cybercrimes.
In response to the growing threat, the Jharkhand Police established a Cyber Crime Police Station in 2016 to tackle serious cybercrimes effectively.
Sitharaman further emphasized that corruption and inadequate infrastructure are impeding Jharkhand’s progress, resulting in a wastage of the state’s talent.
