HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Cybercrime police have arrested four persons for allegedly supplying SIM cards used in online betting fraud. Police said the SIM cards were handed over to fraudsters in Dubai.
The accused are Mohammed Sayeeduddin alias Farid, Mohd Tajuddin, Mohd Younis alias Arbaaz and Md Ayub. Police said they supplied SIM cards taken in the names of family members and friends, which were used for online betting and gaming frauds through fake social media advertisements.
Police said Sayeeduddin earlier worked in a cricket betting call centre in Dubai. After returning to India, he approached people in his locality and offered `600 for each SIM card.
Tajuddin, Younis and Ayub collected SIM cards registered in the names of relatives and acquaintances and handed them over to Farid. He later travelled to Dubai and gave them to Mudassir, a resident of Gujarat.
Mudassir paid Rs 1,200 for each SIM card. Police said Farid supplied around 250 SIM cards, which were used for online cricket betting and other betting platforms.
Investigators said other absconding accused created a betting website and contacted victims while posing as customer care representatives. They approached victims through phone calls, claiming the platform was genuine and profitable.
By offering assistance in creating accounts and placing bets, they gained the victims’ trust and persuaded them to deposit money. Police said the accused then manipulated the betting system and prevented victims from withdrawing their funds.
Police cautioned the public against online gaming or betting advertisements on social media promising easy or guaranteed money. Such schemes are often promoted through Facebook advertisements, WhatsApp messages, Telegram groups or unknown links and are designed to cheat users.