The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has cracked a Rs6 lakh cyber fraud involving Paytm sound boxes used to dupe shopkeepers across Gujarat. Six gang members, including a former Paytm employee, were arrested for stealing money by manipulating banking credentials under the guise of service fee waivers.
Officials said the fraudsters impersonated Paytm representatives, telling shopkeepers the monthly Rs89 service charge had been waived. To “verify” the waiver, victims were asked to make a Rs1 transaction from their banking app. During this step, fraudsters captured their PINs and then siphoned off significant amounts from their accounts.
One victim, Javerabhai Himmatlal Desai, filed a complaint after Rs5.99 lakh was withdrawn fraudulently from his Bank of Baroda account.
Using advanced technical tools and intelligence, police arrested the suspects on March 29. The accused are:
Govind Lalchand Chogaji Patik (23) – Shahpur, Jaipur
Brijesh Girishbhai Dabhai Patel (30) – Ranip, Mehsana
Parag alias Ravi Laxmanbhai Ganesharamji Mistry (24) – Juna Vadaj, Sirohi
Raj Rakeshbhai Bakabhai Patel (28) – Visnagar, Patan
Tikampand Machayam Carpenter (27) – Sardar Colony, Ahmedabad
Pitam Sao Mikalal Kanji Suthar (26) – Pali, Rajasthan
Police seized multiple phones, SIM cards, and Rs25,500 cash.
Investigations revealed Brijesh Patel, dismissed from Paytm in 2022 for prior fraud, masterminded the scam. He leveraged insider knowledge and recruited others to widen operations, laundering money via illegal gaming accounts and using fake SIMs and bank accounts.
The gang’s fraudulent activities spanned several districts, including Surendranagar, Limdi, Bagodara, Palanpur, and Adalaj, with amounts defrauded ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs6,00,000. Police are still investigating to find more accomplices and recover losses.
