Patna: Police have busted a cyber fraud network operating in the Musallahpur police station area and arrested four people accused of targeting customers in India and abroad.
According to Raj Kishore Singh, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Patna City, the accused allegedly used APKs, malware and internet-based calling systems to compromise victims’ computers and then demand money under the pretext of repairing them.
Police said the investigation has so far linked the network to customers in the US and other countries. An estimated Rs 3.50 lakh in bank accounts associated with the accused has been frozen.
Computers sabotaged before demanding money
According to police, the gang monitored numbers used by international call centres. When foreign customers contacted those numbers over technical problems, the accused allegedly answered the calls and communicated using the customers’ language and accent.
The accused would then allegedly convince customers that their computers had serious technical problems. During the interaction, they would install APKs or malware, which could worsen the problem or give them control of the system.
Police said the accused subsequently demanded large sums of money, claiming that specialised procedures were required to restore the computers.
The investigation has also indicated that Indian customers may have been targeted using similar methods.
Four arrested
The arrested individuals have been identified as Om Prakash Thakur, Satyam Kumar, Akshay Kumar Sah and Abhishek Kumar.
Police said Thakur is originally from Mahua in Bhojpur district and was living in Danapur. Satyam Kumar is from Saurbazar in Saharsa district and was residing in the Kankarbagh-Kanti Factory area of Patna.
Abhishek Kumar is from Aurangabad, while Akshay Kumar Sah is from Rajiv Nagar in Patna.
Cash, phones and laptops recovered
During the operation, police recovered two motorcycles, nine Android phones, seven ATM cards and Rs 1.09 lakh in cash.
Four laptops, hard disks, laptop chargers, headsets with microphones and an Airtel router were also seized, police said.
The accused were initially identified after police received information about a cyber fraud operation in the Musallahpur area. A raid led to the arrest of Akshay Kumar Sah, following which police arrested three other suspects based on information obtained during interrogation.
Overseas payments under investigation
Police said the gang handled transactions worth lakhs of rupees, with the amount allegedly demanded from victims depending on their financial circumstances and the extent of the fraud.
According to investigators, payments from overseas customers were initially received in dollars before being converted into Indian currency and transferred to local bank accounts.
Police have frozen approximately Rs 3.50 lakh in the accounts linked to the arrested suspects and are examining the wider transaction chain.
Hawala angle being examined
The police are also investigating a possible hawala connection in the movement of funds received from overseas customers.
The Cyber Police Station team is expected to assist in tracing the flow of money from foreign accounts through currency conversion and into Indian bank accounts.
Police said the accused claimed during interrogation that their network had been operating for around six months. Investigators have also received information suggesting that some of them may have been involved in similar activities since 2022.
The police are investigating the alleged involvement of another person whom the accused reportedly worked with before forming their own group.
Interrogation of the four arrested suspects is continuing as police work to identify other members of the network and determine the number of customers allegedly affected.
