The Adugodi police in Bengaluru have arrested seven men from Mysuru in connection with a cyber fraud where a salesman was duped out of Rs 1.5 lakh by fraudsters impersonating his Dubai-based friend. The arrested men, aged between 20 and 38, operated bank accounts for the main accused, who remains on the run.
The incident began on January 7, when Mohammed Kashif, a salesman from Adugodi, received a Facebook request from a person claiming to be his Dubai-based friend. The fraudster told Kashif that he was sending money for a personal transaction, which would reflect in his account. Shortly after, Kashif received a receipt for Rs 7.9 lakh being transferred to his account. However, the fraudster later claimed to be stuck in a Saudi Arabian police station and needing money for his release.
Following the scammer’s instructions, Kashif transferred Rs 1.5 lakh to multiple bank accounts, which had been opened in Mysuru. It was only after a phone conversation with the real friend that Kashif realized he had been scammed.
The police investigation revealed that the accounts used were linked to 28 previous cybercrime cases. The suspects, including Azharuddin, Shashi Kumar, and Syed Kashif, had opened these accounts and were paid small commissions for facilitating the fraud.
Authorities have seized mobile phones, bank passbooks, and other documents from the arrested individuals, and efforts are ongoing to track down the main culprit.
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