Aware of the "work from home" scam, agents of the Central Crime Branch detained 11 suspects in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
On the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, police set up 30 bank accounts linked to 2,143 cases in 28 states, including 265 in Karnataka. Transactions to the tune of ₹158 crore were done through the accounts. The city police had recovered ₹62.8 lakh, 11 mobile phones and 15 SIM cards from the accused for opening bank accounts. Four Bengaluru residents were booked. The issue started with an online loss of ₹18.7 lakh, which led to complaint after complaint.
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How the WFH scam operated
Bengaluru police have arrested a gang of criminals masquerading as members of HR staff of renowned companies that supplement their income with work from home. Using the Telegram and WhatsApp apps, the accused would send random numbers offering short services and quick returns. The perpetrators lured the victims into a fraudulent financial scheme by promising huge returns. Initially, victims were encouraged to send out large sums, receiving double returns for their modest contributions.
It assigned all the accused roles in a well-organized crime syndicate, some of whom are suspected of being deported from abroad. The amount of money withdrawn was in the hundreds of millions, but since the accused withdrew the money from their bank accounts as soon as it arrived, the amount would be less The arrested operatives and those who used the commissions to call out its message to the people.
Four of the accused opened bank accounts with temporary addresses and permanent addresses in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Abbas Ali received details in return for the order. The information was then passed on to Ali’s contacts in Mumbai, who passed it on to the chief of staff representing the king, who is believed to be in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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