Cyber Gangs Lure Youth, Trap Victims With New Threat Tactics

Kakinada: Cyber fraudsters are devising multiple strategies to steal money by hacking bank accounts and targeting vulnerable people. They are employing educated youth across four to five categories, recruiting individuals from India, Pakistan and other countries, and opening bank accounts in their names.

In the first group, employees are assigned to identify bank accounts with large deposits and collect the account holders’ names and phone numbers. The second group contacts victims through WhatsApp calls and threatens them.

In a recent bust by the Bhimavaram police, the key accused was found to be operating from Cambodia. After each operation, he paid commissions to the recruits. Fraudsters are using five types of intimidation: pornography threats, warnings about not linking Aadhaar to bank accounts, and false claims that Income Tax or Enforcement Directorate officials would conduct raids for holding unaccounted money.

In one case, the fraudsters made a WhatsApp call to a 78-year-old retired professor from Bhimavaram and threatened him with obscene content. He noticed a flex banner in the background with the names of the ED and CBI at Bengaluru, which frightened him. Out of fear, he shared details of his multiple bank accounts, allowing the gang to hack and transfer the funds.

West Godavari superintendent of police Adnan Nayeem Asmi said four cybercrime cases had been cracked in the last 10 months, with one bank manager found assisting the fraudsters. He urged the public not to fall for such calls and to report them to the police immediately.