HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Cybercrime teams have unearthed an online gaming fraud with connections to an internationally recognised betting platform, Dafabet, allegedly operated from Dubai and the Philippines. The investigation led to the arrest of Harish Goyal in Delhi who is accused of managing an office setup facilitating fraudulent transactions for Dafabet organisers.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Kothakota Srinivas Reddy, in a press briefing on Saturday, said that the fraud came to light when a resident of Somajiguda filed a complaint, reporting a loss of `70 lakh. The victim was lured into betting through telecallers associated with Dafabet.
Police teams seized `1.4 crore in cash, 36 bank cheque books, and 53 debit cards from Goyal. He is accused of providing bank accounts to Dafabet organisers for illicit transactions. However, when Cybercrime sleuths prepared to shift him to Hyderabad, Goyal appealed against the transit warrant. The higher court ordered Goyal to surrender, but he vanished, prompting Cybercrime teams to pursue him with a Non-Bailable Warrant.
Sources said that Goyal and his associate Sanjeev frequently move between the Philippines and Dubai. The Police Commissioner said that the accused collaborated with Dafabet organisers operating in various countries, including the Philippines, Dubai, Hong Kong, and China.
Dafabet active since 2004
Dafabet has been active since 2004. It has gained global recognition with international sponsors and partnerships with renowned sports figures. So intricate are the operations of Dafabet that they require a comprehensive study to understand them, let alone the cybercrime sleuths take appropriate action against the website.
Telecallers are victims too
Meanwhile, Cybercrimes DCP D Kavitha said that telecallers are generally enticed with salaries and incentives without being fully aware of the fraudulent activities occurring behind the scenes. Perpetrators set up seemingly legitimate offices, posing as stakeholders, and hire telecallers to carry out deceptive activities, often related to product or service calls.
The telecallers, unaware of the true nature of their work, are selected based on language skills to convince potential victims. They are mostly offered salaries ranging from `8,000 to `20,000 and most are vulnerable and struggling financially.