Customer support service, helpline scam: Fraudsters wipe out bank accounts online, Delhi Police arrests four men

New Delhi: If you google the customer support service or customer helpline number of your favourite company or service provider, this could land you in a net of cybercriminals. There are many ways they could wipe out your bank account online. Delhi Police has busted one such racket involving at least four people.

Four men arrested
Cyber Police Station of the North-East District of Delhi busted a syndicate of fraudsters and arrested four persons for allegedly duping a man for money. The arrested persons were identified as Azharuddin Ansari (Dhanbad), Murshed Ansari (Dhanbad), Asfak Ansari (Dhanbad), and Asgar Ansari (Deoghar), according to the police on Monday.

Cash, debit cards recovered
The police recovered a total of Rs 7,90,000 in cash, four debit cards, seven mobile phones and a chequebook.

According to the police, one Rajesh Kumar Sharma filed a complaint on July 3 this year in the Cyber Police Station of North-East District alleging that he had ordered medicines online which were to be delivered through a private courier service.

Customer care number fraud
"On delay of delivery, he googled helpline/customer care numbers of DTDC Courier Service but landed to the fraudsters who trapped him, asked to download quick support application on mobile (i.e a screen sharing application) and cheated/duped him of Rs 2,40,000," the police said.

Cheated money deposited in various accounts
The police, during its investigation, found that the cheated amount of Rs 2,40,000 was transferred to five different bank accounts.

Police tracks money trail
"One of the transactions i.e Rs 40,000 was landed in the bank account of one Siraj Ansari (Jharkhand). On the analysis of the linked mobile number and CCTV footage of the ATM Booth from where cash was withdrawn, a raid was conducted at Dhanbad and a person namely Azharuddin Ansari (Murgabani, PS Govindpur, Dhanbad Jharkhand) was arrested with the recovery of 3 mobile phones, one debit card, chequebook. During interrogation, he confessed to his crime and revealed the names of his associates," the police added.

Police conducts raid
"Accordingly, on his instance, the raid was conducted and his other associate namely Murshed Ansari (Jamtara, Dhanbad, Jharkhand) was arrested on September 16 with the recovery of one mobile phone and Asfak Ansari was arrested on September 30 with the recovery of Rs 1000 cash and two mobile phones. Later Asgar Ansari was arrested on October 6 with the recovery of cash Rs 7,90,000, one mobile phone, three ATM cards, one Cheque Book, two POS machines," it added.

Fraudsters explain modus operandi
All the accused confessed to their crimes. "They further disclosed that in the name of customer support services they used to ask people to download quick support applications and thus get access to their mobile phone and connected bank account. This way they used to cheat innocent people of their money and further transfer the cheated money to different bank accounts," the police said. Further investigation into the case is in progress.

(With ANI inputs)