NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has arrested two men for allegedly using health camps offering subsidised medicines in different villages as a front to collect Aadhaar card and biometric details of people for the activation of e-SIM cards for cybercriminals.
The accused have been identified as Jitendra Singh (29) and Brajesh Kumar (21) of UP’s Mathura. They have been linked to fraud complaints involving around Rs 2.64 crore.
An investigation has revealed that e-SIM cards obtained by the accused were supplied to cybercriminals for use in fraudulent activities, such as digital arrest scams and the configuration of SIM-box systems.
The case arose from a digital arrest complaint where a person was allegedly threatened with legal action over a series of video calls and coerced into transferring Rs 1.64 crore through six RTGS transactions to six bank accounts over a span of nearly two weeks.
A technical analysis of mobile numbers and device-related data led police to the Vrindavan-Mathura region of Uttar Pradesh, revealing a network involved in procurement, activation and supply of e-SIM cards for the facilitation of cybercrime operations. Singh and Kumar were arrested in an operation on the intervening night of October 20 and 21.
The accused had been engaged in the procurement, activation and onward supply of physical SIM cards and e-SIMs for around one year. They allegedly worked together and procured and traded around 20-30 e-SIM cards a day.
Preliminary findings indicate that the duo allegedly procured and resold activated e-SIMs and QR codes through social media channels. It also brought to light alleged misuse of identity details collected at health camps, DCP (IFSO) Gaurav Tyagi revealed.
During the camps, the accused induced villagers to provide their Aadhaar card and biometric details under this pretext, which were then misused for obtaining SIM cards.
The alleged misuse of identity details is being investigated further, the DCP said. The accused allegedly contacted sellers through online groups and messaging platforms to procure already activated e-SIMs.