Arrests shopkeeper from Anantnag
SRINAGAR: Cyber Police Kashmir on Friday claimed to have busted a fake job scam operated through Facebook and arrested one person from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district in this regard.
As per a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar received a written complaint from one lady (name withheld) hailing from Baramulla district of North Kashmir, alleging therein that she has been cheated by unknown Facebook user operating multiple fake Facebook accounts and impersonating as Project Officer in ICDS on the pretext of providing job to her.
“On receipt of this complaint, a case under FIR number 23/2020 under relevant sections of law was registered in Cyber Police Station and investigation was set into motion. During the course of investigation, the said unknown Facebook user was found operating more than 15 fake Facebook accounts (male & female) and had fraudulently obtained a number of SIM cards from the victims, which he was using to cheat and deceive the female victims especially young and destitute girls,” the statement said.
It added that the accused by his vicious and wicked plans has grabbed lakhs of rupees from the victims on the pretext of providing them jobs.
“The modus operandi of the accused include creation of fake Facebook accounts by using profile pictures of high profile dignitaries mostly associated with politics and television and sending friend requests to the young girls who were allured by the profiles of the accused and would often chat with the accused who used to impress them with his flagitious activities and promises of offering jobs to them,” police said.
The statement added that he made them believe that he could help them in getting jobs and consequently coerced them to pay money. “The accused also used to compel the young girls to share their objectionable photos and videos and using the same for blackmailing. He would made victims transfer money not into his personal account but in the accounts of other victims who were cheated in the same manner and subsequently used to collect the amount by sending some other person(s) to avoid himself getting exposed,” the statement further reads.
It added that the accused used to frequently change his mobile phones and SIM cards and create new Facebook accounts on the name of high posted Govt employees and made victims believe that they too have been provided jobs by him.
“During the course of investigation and with strenuous efforts and rigorous analysis of his cyber signatures/footprints at different cyber platforms, the experts of Cyber Police station Kashmir were able to trace and identify the accused. He was identified as Mohammad Hussain Mir @ Bitta Morray, son of Late Ghulam Qadir Mir of Lazibal, KP Road Anantnag, a shopkeeper by profession and has been arrested,” police said.
During further investigation, police said the accused has been found to have used various devices and has cheated more than 100 destitute and young girls belonging to Kashmir as well as Jammu division who were in desperate need of government jobs.
“During questioning, the accused person admitted that he was inspired by a famous TV serial “Crime Patrol” and he learnt the modus operandi of social media crimes by watching the said serial. Further, one accomplice of the accused who used to provide fake SIM cards to the accused was also arrested. More arrests in the case are expected,” police said.
Meanwhile, police appealed to people to be aware of such online job scams where the fraudsters pretend to be Government Officers and high profile dignitaries.
“Moreover, public is advised neither to accept any friendship request on social media platforms from unknown persons nor share their personal details including photographs and videos with unknown social media users as these details could be used by these fake users/fraudsters to cheat/blackmail people,” police added.