HYDERABAD: A US-returned robotics graduate, who was arrested by Rachakonda police on Tuesday for cheating mobile phone sellers through NEFT transaction frauds, is believed to be wanted in many other states in similar frauds.
The cheater is identified as Shahensha Shareef cheated only mobile stores in Hyderabad. But in other metros across the country, he had cheated star hotels and cabbies in the same manner.
Police found Shareef checked into only luxury suites and offered to pay the bills to the hotels through NEFT transactions. Police sources revealed Shareef had committed similar offences in Karimnagar, Warangal, Vijayawada and Vizag also, but the details of the cases are yet to be verified. Shareef and the woman, whom he had allegedly kidnapped, had been travelling to different cities all over the country. In every city, he chooses one of the top star hotels and checks into a luxury suit introducing himself as a foreign returned professional, having business in the city and stays at least for ten days.
During his stay, he hires an Ola cab for the entire duration. Every day he went out and would cheat mobile stores in the same manner. After completion of the trip, he would offer the hotel and the cabbie to pay through NEFT transaction and cheated them.
Investigating officials said he is a tech savvy person and has a deep knowledge of net banking and the options. He took advantage of the options for ease of use and cheated the mobile stores, hotels and cabbies. All those mobiles were sold at cheaper prices in different parts of the old city.
“He claims to have made his first attempt at a store in Jeedimetla in May 2018 and after successfully cheating, he started in other areas and followed the same method in other cities also,” they said.
He had the account in a private sector bank and in a Singapore based bank. After finalising the bill, he would try to pay the amount using the debit card of the Singapore bank, but when the payment would not happen, he would then use mobile banking options of the other bank and do the NEFT transaction.
Shareef and his two other friends who helped him in pulling the fraud were arrested on Tuesday and mobiles worth five lakh were recovered from their possession.