The Cybercrime police in Jamnagar have arrested two men, Sameer Sidatar (25) and Siraj alias Chintu Kapadia (45), for allegedly defrauding farmer Vimal Vekariya and his father Mansukh Vekariya of Rs 6.40 lakh through a malware-based scam. The accused were remanded in police custody till Tuesday after being produced in court.
According to the investigating officer IA Ghasura, Siraj is a known criminal with a prior jail term in Surendranagar. While in prison, he came in contact with Anwar, a Jharkhand-based criminal believed to be the mastermind behind this fraud.
The scam unfolded on June 29, when Vimal Vekariya received a WhatsApp message containing a malicious file named ‘RTO.APK’. Upon downloading the file, his phone was compromised. Subsequently, a loan of Rs 7.37 lakh was credited to his account, from which Rs 2 lakh was withdrawn immediately.
Since Vimal’s mobile number was linked to his father Mansukh’s bank account, scammers also siphoned Rs 4.40 lakh from that account, bringing the total loss to Rs 6.40 lakh.
Police investigations revealed that the stolen money was withdrawn using a rented bank account operated by Siraj. He retained a commission and transferred the remainder to Anwar.
Further tracing showed part of the amount moving into the account of Mansur Agariya, a grocery shop owner from Chotila, Surendranagar district. Agariya admitted to letting Sameer and Siraj use his account for receiving funds from online gaming, expecting a commission.
The Cybercrime unit is actively pursuing leads to apprehend Anwar, who is believed to be operating from Jharkhand.
