Mumbai: Cops find Jamtara link in electricity fraud cases

Cops have found the accused used to get Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 as commission per victim from their handlers in Jamtara. Representation pic

The Malabar Hill police, investigating multiple cases of electricity fraud, have found that the scam is being orchestrated from the phishing capital of India, Jamtara, a district in the state of Jharkhand. In two different cases, they arrested two accused who are from Jharkhand and have been working in the city on behalf of their handlers operating from Jamtara district. Both the accused arrested, each from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, were found purchasing mobile phones by using digital vouchers at a leading retail electronic chain of electronic goods in Chembur. The digital vouchers were purchased by their handlers with fraud money transferred into different payment gateways.

The Malabar Hill police have registered 6 cases of electricity bill fraud in past two months and were able to solve two of the cases after detailed technical analysis. The officials have found both the cases are linked to Jamtara. On Monday, the cops arrested a 27-year-old resident of Jharkhand identified as Suraj Kumar Saw residing in Chembur, in a case where a resident of Malabar Hill lost Rs 1,29,000. The cybercrooks sent a message to the victim saying his electricity supply will be disconnected if the pending bill is not paid and they also attached the number of a fake electricity officer and a fake electricity supplier to it.

The modus operandi

"We found that the fraudsters purchased digital vouchers of a leading retail electronic chain of consumer and durables, and the same vouchers were redeemed by purchasing mobile phones at its outlets," said Neelotpal, DCP Zone II.

The police later learnt that the vouchers were redeemed at the well-known store's Chembur branch, and took details from the payment gateway and the store to apprehend accused Suraj Kumar Saw. He works at a mobile show room. "It appears that he was operating on the behalf of his handlers in Jamtara who have been sending messages of electricity supply disconnection. When the victims call back on the number they give with the message, they are asked to download certain apps and the culprits take control of their mobile phones. Then they ask the victims to make Rs 10-Rs 20 payment to avoid disconnection and after the victim makes the payment they get access to her/his credentials." Neelotpal added.

The officials also learnt that the stolen amounts were transferred to different payment gateways such a paytm, mobiliwik, etc."Once the amount gets credited in these accounts, the fraudsters purchase digital vouchers of stores where they can redeem the same," a police officer said.

Power centre in Jamtara

The police found that Saw purchased multiple mobile phones by redeeming digital vouchers. The accused has also said in his statement that he used to purchase 1-2 mobile phones daily whenever he had instructions from his handlers. "He has been working since May this year and seems to have sent multiple mobiles to Jharkhand and some of those handsets were also found active in West Bengal," the officer added.

Earlier, this month, the Malabar Hill Police led by API Nilesh Bankar arrested a 37-year-old resident of Jharkhand identified as Madan Saw in a similar electricity fraud case. In it a Nepean Sea Road resident lost Rs 1.7 lakh. The cops were able to block another Rs 73,000. The police found the accused had purchased digital vouchers and then mobile phones from the well-known store's Chembur outlet. He was arrested from Navi Mumbai's Koparkhairane where he worked with a restaurant as a waiter. "In this case also we found that the handler was from Jamtara and the accused purchased mobile phones using digital vouchers and they were sent to Jharkhand," Neelotpal added.

In both the cases, officials have found that the arrested accused uses to get Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 as commission per victim from their handlers. "We are working closely to stop the chain of this fraud, but we appeal to citizens to not to entertain such messages. Go to the official websites and mobile apps of electricity providers to make payments or visit their offices."