Beware while renting out accommodation, cyber crooks on the prowl

New Delhi, April 20

The more technology is getting advanced, the more cyber crooks are finding innovative ways to cheat people.

A woman in Delhi on March 18 received a call inquiring about a PG accommodation. Little did she know that the caller had something else in mind.

The caller introduced himself as an army personnel and said that he needs PG accommodation for his daughter. He also offered money in advance to book the accommodation for a period of four months - Rs 14,000 per month totalling Rs 56,000.

Unaware of the caller's intentions, the woman without any hesitation clicked on a link that was sent by the caller through a message to receive the said amount.

The moment she clicked on the link, she received a message that her account has been debited with Rs 56000, instead of getting credited. She immediately dialled the same number and the caller apologised and said that he might have mistakenly sent her a wrong link.

The caller again asked her to click on another link and she again met the same fate. Rs 56,000 more were debited from her account. She tried contacting the same number but it was switched off.

She then approached the police who registered her complaint and began probing the matter.

After technical analysis, the police were able to identify the bank account (in which the cheated amount was received) holder as Gagan, a resident of Faridabad in Haryana.

"A raid was conducted and Gagan was apprehended," said a senior police official.

On interrogation, Gagan named the handler of the account called Haider, a resident of Mewat, Haryana, and on whose inducement he had opened four bank accounts in different banks and got some money in return. The registered mobile number in all these accounts originally belonged to Gagan but the SIM was handed over to Haider.

Haider too was apprehended and he revealed that he was doing all this on the directions of his handler Mushtaq and others in Nai village of Mewat in Haryana.

"Haider affirmed that he was handling all the withdrawals of the cheated money and handing over the withdrawn cash to other accused after deducting his commission," said the official.

In total, three people -- Haider Ali (31), Gagan (20) and Mushtaq (34) -- were arrested and a gang of cyber crooks was busted.