The cybercrime wing of the Avadi Central Crime Branch arrested two individuals on Thursday in connection with a scam in which a Chennai-based college lecturer was duped into transferring Rs 38.1 lakh for a fake “RBI check.”
The accused, S Muhammad Ismail, 36, an MBA graduate working at a private logistics company, and M Sadhik Basha, 39, a school dropout and shopkeeper from Aranthangi, were arrested after police recovered Rs 46.22 lakh in cash, along with a tablet and three mobile phones. The arrests followed information provided by Y Bijoy, who was previously arrested in connection with the same case last month.
Police investigation revealed that Ismail received a commission for helping send the stolen money overseas, while Basha facilitated transferring the funds to bank accounts in Malaysia.
The incident dates back to July last year, when Mary Janet Daisy, a college lecturer, received a call from someone claiming to be from Mumbai’s cybercrime police. The caller informed her that several SIM cards were registered in her name and being used for illegal activities. They convinced her to transfer the money in her account for an “RBI check” to verify whether the funds were obtained through illegal means. Mary transferred Rs 38.1 lakh before realizing she had been scammed, leading her to file a police complaint.
The suspects have been remanded in judicial custody, while the investigation continues.
