J-K: International cyber fraud racket busted in Srinagar, 7 arrested
Srinagar (PTI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police's Counter Intelligence Wing (CIK) has busted a highly sophisticated international cyber fraud racket by arresting seven persons here, officials said on Thursday.
The CIK-CID received several technical and credible inputs regarding the operation of "covert call centres" involved in fraudulent online activities targeting both foreign and local nationals.
"The CIK promptly constituted specialised teams comprising technical experts and field operatives and carried out systematic surveillance, digital intelligence gathering and verification across multiple locations, ultimately identifying a key operational hub at the Industrial Area, Rangreth, Srinagar," they said.
Subsequently, a CIK team conducted a swift and well-coordinated raid in different parts of Srinagar city on Wednesday. During the raid, seven suspects were apprehended on the spot, and a large quantity of digital and communication equipment was seized. The seized devices include 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, SIM cards and networking devices, and digital storage media, officials stated.
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The seized material contains substantial incriminating evidence, clearly indicating a highly organised and technologically advanced criminal setup, they added.
According to initial investigations, the accused are part of a larger, well-coordinated cybercrime syndicate with connections extending beyond Jammu and Kashmir, officials stated.
"Part of the network was specifically designed to target victims in countries such as the USA, UK, and Canada, operate through international communication masking technologies, use psychological manipulation and impersonation tactics and launder money through modern digital and cryptocurrency channels," officials informed.
Explaining the technical modus operandi, officials said the accused had established a covert, unregistered call centre infrastructure using VoIP-based systems, enabling them to generate international virtual numbers, mask their real location using server routing and spoofing techniques, and appear as legitimate service providers to unsuspecting victims.
International calls were being generated and routed through this call centre. A fake YahooMail.com website and Google advertisements were used to target victims, they said.
"Individuals across multiple countries were approached through organised call operations and online phishing ads. Once a victim clicked on the advertisement, a toll-free number appeared on their screen. This toll-free number was operated by the suspects, who then deceived innocent people into providing their banking and other personal details," the officials said.
They added that funds were subsequently transferred into various accounts, including mule accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, primarily USDT.
"The illicit proceeds were further layered, converted, and withdrawn to conceal their origin. Victims were contacted and deceived into believing that their devices or bank accounts were compromised and they needed to pay for technical support or avoid penalties," they said.
The fraudulently obtained money was then transferred through banking channels, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency, routed through mule accounts. It was subsequently converted into USDT and other cryptocurrencies, layered multiple times to evade detection and tracing. Notably, no cash transactions were involved, underscoring the fully digital and sophisticated nature of this crime, officials said.
The transactions carried so far seem to be running in several crores, they added.
A case has been registered under relevant laws, including charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and pertinent sections of the Information Technology Act.
"Follow-up raids are being conducted to apprehend additional suspects. Forensic analysis of seized devices is underway, and efforts are ongoing to identify victims and trace financial flows," they said.
Investigations into the wider network, including national and international connections, are continuing, officials noted.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
