In a significant breakthrough, the Avadi Central Crime Branch Cybercrime Wing arrested two individuals involved in the Rs 38.1 lakh fraud that targeted a Chennai-based college lecturer. The arrested suspects have been identified as S Muhammad Ismail (36), an MBA holder from Mannady working at a private logistics company, and M Sadhik Basha (39), a school dropout from Aranthangi who runs a shop in Burma Bazaar.
The arrests were made based on information from Y Bijoy, who was apprehended last month in connection with the same fraud. Police recovered Rs 46.22 lakh in cash, along with a tablet, and three mobile phones from the suspects.
Police investigations revealed that Ismail received a commission for sending cheques of the stolen funds overseas, while Basha helped facilitate the transfer of money to bank accounts in Malaysia.
The fraud began in July of the previous year when Mary Janet Daisy, a college lecturer, received a call from someone claiming to be a member of the Mumbai cybercrime police. The caller alleged that several SIM cards had been registered under her name and used for illegal activities. She was convinced to transfer money from her account to another account for an RBI check to verify the legality of the funds. Unaware of the scam, she transferred Rs 38.1 lakh. It was only later that she realized she had been duped and filed a police complaint.
This case highlights the growing issue of online frauds and phishing scams, especially where fraudsters impersonate authorities to trick victims into transferring funds.
