A major cyber fraud network with connections to China has been uncovered by the Cyber Crime police station of the Jharkhand Crime Investigation Department (CID). The gang was engaged in investment scams and digital arrest tactics, facilitating illicit financial transactions with the assistance of Chinese criminals. Cyber DSP Neha Bala provided the information on Saturday.
Following directives from CID DG Anurag Gupta, a CID team took prompt action, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals. The individuals arrested include Kumar Deepak from Siwan, Bihar; Prabhat Kumar; Kumar Saurabh from Nalanda; Shivam Kumar from Nawada; Anil Kumar and Pradeep Kumar from Patna; and Lakhan Chaurasia from Gopalganj, Madhya Pradesh. The cybercriminals were found to be in possession of 12 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, 14 ATM cards, and details of 60 bank accounts gathered from WhatsApp and Telegram chats.
Cyber DSP Neha Bala stated that the cybercrime police station received a tip on July 4, revealing that an organized cyber gang was operating from the Olive Garden Hotel in the Jagannathpur police station area. This gang was involved in setting up mule bank accounts and working with Chinese fraudsters. Upon receiving this information, the CID swiftly intervened and apprehended seven agents at the location. These agents were responsible for providing mule bank accounts from various parts of the country. Additionally, a special agent working for Chinese companies, including Moon Pay, Dragon Pay, Super Pay, and Mango Pay India, was also arrested. A significant amount of bank account information and digital evidence were retrieved from the WhatsApp and Telegram chats of the Chinese network-linked agents.
According to the DSP, agents working for the Chinese gang were sent a special application (APK file) via Telegram. These agents would then install the application on SIM cards linked to bank accounts. After installation, the application would automatically forward bank-related OTPs and alerts to Chinese servers. Criminals in China utilized this information to gain remote access to these accounts and carry out fraudulent activities amounting to crores of rupees. The CID has so far identified 60 mule bank accounts, linked to 68 complaints registered across India. These bank accounts are associated with investment scams and digital arrest-related complaints registered in various states, which are available on the NCRP portal. The Jharkhand CID has urged the public to exercise caution with unknown links, calls, or investment offers and to report any cybercrime to the helpline number 1930 immediately.