Cyber sleuths nab 5 more fraudsters

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 16

Sleuths of the Punjab state cyber crime cell claim to have busted a gang behind the recent card cloning cases here by arresting five more accused.

Those arrested are Sumit from Lucknow, Rahul Sharma, a resident of Mumbai, Arun from Madhya Pradesh, Mahesh from West Bengal and Karun Inder Pal from Agra. Four more members of the gang were yet to be arrested, said sources.

Sumit, who is said to be the kingpin of the gang, was produced before a local court on Wednesday evening, which remanded him in police custody till August 18.

The police produced three other accused — Mahesh, Karun Inder and Rahul — before a local court on Thursday, which remanded them in two-day police custody,” said Inspector Samarpal Singh, SHO of the Punjab state cyber crime police station at Phase 4 here.

According to the police, Sumit, who is pursuing MBA, is the kingpin of the gang. “All members of the gang are youngsters (in the age group of 25 to 28 years) and educated,” said the police.

Sumit used to provide them skimmers and other such devices which they installed in credit/debit card machines and ATMs to commit frauds, said the police.

“We are yet to investigate from where they procured these skimmers or other such devices,” said the SHO.

So far, cyber crime sleuths have arrested six accused in the case. The sources said the police were yet to nab four more members of the gang.

The cyber cell had received nearly 20 complaints from victims in the Mohali area, who have allegedly lost around Rs 25 lakh to these fraudsters.

“The modus operendi of the gang was that they used to work at bar-cum-restaurants or other such establishments and fixed devices in credit/debit card machines and ATMs to capture data of card users. They then used to clone the cards and withdraw money by using these. They used to flee from the state after committing the crime in one or two towns there,” said the police, adding that the gang members had committed such frauds in Pune, Delhi and Mumbai.

All youngsters, educated

According to the police, Sumit, who is pursuing MBA, is the kingpin of the gang. “All members of the gang are youngsters (in the age group of 25 to 28 years) and educated,” said the police. Sumit used to provide them skimmers and other such devices which they installed in credit/debit card machines and ATMs to commit frauds, said the police.