BHUBANESWAR: The State Crime Branch has arrested three persons from Dhenkanal for allegedly selling pre-activated mobile phone numbers to cyber fraudsters, which the latter used to create fake WhatsApp accounts of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and requested money from a few MPs.
The agency received a tipof f that a mobile phone number having its location history in Dhenkanal district was used to create fake WhatsApp account of Birla. The cyber fraudsters used the photograph of the Speaker and sent messages to other MPs requesting for money.
The agency registered a case in this connection under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B, 30 of IPC along with Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act on April 30. Crime Branch launched an investigation into the matter and nabbed prime accused Dushmanta Sahu of Nadiali village and his associates Sai Prakash Das of Dhenkanal town and Avinash Nayak of Meena Bazar on May 1.
Das owns a shop Sky Arts and he along with Nayak were selling pre-activated SIM cards to Sahu. According to Crime Branch sources, Sahu had joined a group called Buyer-Seller of OTP on Facebook and used to receive a payment of Rs 400 for selling one active mobile phone number.
He shared the numbers of pre-activated SIM cards to cyber fraudsters on online platforms and then provided the onetime passwords (OTPs) when they opened fake WhatsApp accounts. He also provided the OTPs when the cyber criminals opened fake accounts/digital wallets on Amazon, PhonePe, Paytm, among others.
"Prime accused Sahu never sold pre-activated SIM cards to cyber fraudsters physically. He just provided the pre-activated mobile phone numbers used to create fake WhatsApp accounts. The cyber criminals utilised these numbers to con the victims and receive money on forged digital wallets," said Addl DGP (Crime Branch) Sanjeeb Panda.
Initial investigation suggests Sahu has been selling preactivated mobile phone numbers since the last two years. Crime Branch officials have traced seven bank accounts in the name of Sahu and his family members along with three Paytm wallets.
They have seized 19,641 preactivated SIM cards of service providers - BSNL, Vodafone, Jio, Airtel, Vi and Tata, Rs 14.32 lakh in cash, 48 mobile phones, a finger print scanner, 440 passport photographs of different persons, 394 photocopies of voter cards, 11 QR code boards, 108 customer application forms, one laptop, and other articles from the accused.