The Cyber Crime Police in Uttar Pradesh detained Ahmed Nawaz and Aman on 13th June for their roles in an online scam involving fruit and vegetable trading. The duo allegedly defrauded multiple victims across various Indian states for over ₹5 million, approximately $67,000.
Police apprehended the suspects in Khatauli's Balajipuram area, Muzaffarnagar district. Seized items included 4 passbooks, 3 cheque books, 9 SIM cards, 3 mobile phones, and 1 laptop. The accused allegedly used fake IDs to acquire the SIM cards.
The investigation began following a complaint filed on the Pratibimb portal by a businessman from Tripura, reporting fraudulent activities via fake Facebook pages. Police discovered that these pages, showcasing fruits and vegetables at reduced prices, were linked to Muzaffarnagar phone numbers.
The accused reportedly created pages for entities like "Syed Trading Company Wholesale Maharashtra" and "AFC Fruit Banana Wholesale." Since 2020, they allegedly amassed around ₹5 million, about $67,000, through these schemes. The company's addresses spanned Maharashtra, Tripura, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
Buyers on these pages were instructed to deposit upfront payments, after which the accused allegedly blocked customer contacts, preventing further communication.
The suspects bought assets, including vehicles and real estate, with the ill-gotten funds. The accused, who reportedly attained education only till the 8th grade, are linked to fraud complaints worth ₹23,081,429, approximately $309,000. Police from West Bengal and Maharashtra have also been pursuing them. Roughly ₹3 million, equivalent to $40,000, remains in their accounts. Post-court appearance, the accused were jailed.
Source: OpIndia