The Delhi Police have arrested 24-year-old Bablu Kumar Mahato for allegedly defrauding a man of Rs 1.3 lakh by impersonating a relative. The arrest was made in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, after an extensive investigation.
The incident began when Ankit Vashist, a resident of Bhajanpura, filed a complaint on behalf of his father. According to Vashist, on November 26, the victim received a call from someone claiming to be his nephew. The caller fabricated a fake emergency and persuaded the victim to transfer Rs 5 to 6 lakh to an Indian Post Payments Bank (IPPB) account, citing technical issues that prevented him from completing the transfer on his own.
Convinced by the story, the victim transferred Rs 1.3 lakh. However, when no money was returned as promised, the victim realized he had been scammed and reported the incident to the police.
An FIR was filed, and a detailed investigation ensued. Using transaction data analysis, the police traced the fraudulent activities and tracked Mahato to Noida, where he was apprehended.
Authorities seized multiple items from Mahato, including five smartphones, 32 SIM cards, eight ATM cards, a cheque book, two bank passbooks, and a fake Aadhaar card. During questioning, Mahato admitted to the crime and revealed his involvement in similar scams in the past. His modus operandi involved posing as distressed relatives to manipulate victims into transferring money.
The police continue their investigation, as Mahato’s actions may have led to more victims.