KOCHI: Cyber fraudsters use multiple layers of cover to evade detection. They remain elusive and continue targeting innocent people. The only way to hunt them down is out-of-the-box thinking. A recent case in Kochi is a classic example. Thanks to an unconventional probe, an entire network of fraudsters based in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, was uprooted.
It all began in June this year when the chief finance manager of Asset Homes received a WhatsApp message from an account displaying a photograph of the company’s managing director. The message instructed the official to transfer Rs 41.81 lakh to various bank accounts. Assuming that the message was bonafide, he transferred the money.
Subsequently, on realising that it was a fraud, a complaint was lodged with the Kochi Cyber Police Station House Officer Thomas K J. He assigned the case to Senior Civil Police Officer Shyam Kumar, a seasoned cybercrime investigator.
First, the investigating team tracked the bank accounts to which the money had been transferred. Money had gone to banks in places such as Gopalganj and Kushi Nagar, near Gorakhpur. Eight accounts belonging to different individuals were traced.
The next step was to track the SIM card used to send the message. “We adopted an unconventional method. Dual-SIM phones have two IMEI numbers. Instead of tracking the primary IMEI number, we tracked the secondary one,” says Shyam.
“There would be only minor differences between the primary and secondary IMEI numbers. Most fraudsters use fake SIM cards for cyber fraud but maintain a secondary SIM for personal use, like calling family and friends. While the primary SIM card is frequently changed, the secondary one usually remains the same.” Shyam and his team zeroed in on Sakshimouly Raj, 27, of Gorakhpur. The strategy was to nab his associates first.
“We observed a pattern: withdrawals occurred at ATMs in Gopalganj between 11 PM and 12 midnight. Later, after an hour, money was withdrawn from another ATM in Kushi Nagar. These two places are 56 minutes apart,” notes Shyam. “The accused used a private bank’s premium cards that allowed them to withdraw up to Rs 2 lakh a day. So, between 11 PM and 1 AM, Rs 4 lakh could be withdrawn.” On reaching Gorakhpur, officers led by Shyam accessed CCTV footage from the ATMs and confirmed Sakshimouly’s involvement. In all, eight people who held bank accounts to which the money was transferred were traced.
Officers started arresting them, one by one. Deeraj Kumar (35), a manager at a well-known insurance company, was the first to be picked up. Over Rs 25 lakh had been transferred to his account. “He allowed his bank account to be used for a commission,” Shyam details. “Dheeraj’s bank account and ATM details were given to 22-year-old Vipin Kumar Mishra, who runs an Aadhar Digital Seva Kendra. It was Vipin who had arranged the bank accounts and ATM cards. The account holders were paid a commission of Rs 12,500 for every lakh transferred to their accounts.”
On grilling, Vipin revealed that the bank account details and ATM cards were handed over to 26-year-old Ummath Ali, a close ally of Sakshimouly. After tracking down Ummath, the officers apprehended Sakshimouly. “The UP police assisted us in locating the villages where these individuals resided and identifying them,” says Shyam. ”Without their support, operating in those remote villages would have been risky. Eventually, however, all the accused were brought to Kerala.”
The case is yet to be closed, adds Shyam. “We are yet to figure out who divulged the victim’s details to the fraudsters,” he says. “We suspect that the accused obtained the victim’s phone number through LinkedIn. In cyber frauds, usually, perpetrators extract personal details of victims from social media accounts.”