Cyber Fraud Gang Arrested for Scanning Device Scam in Baghpat

Baghpat 05 September (desk):-Baghpat police arrested three members of a gang involved in defrauding shopkeepers by installing fake scanning devices to steal money. The suspects used these devices to open fraudulent bank accounts, take loans, and transfer funds to their accounts. The gang primarily targeted small shop owners by deceiving them into providing their mobile phones for fake Paytm KYC (Know Your Customer) updates.

Two shopkeepers, Asif from Katha village and Satish from Old Town, filed complaints on August 2, after they were duped. The fraudsters visited their shops under the pretense of installing scanning devices for payments and borrowed their mobile phones to complete the process. They opened fake bank accounts in Kotak Bank using forged Aadhaar and PAN cards. Subsequently, loans of ₹2.60 lakh in Asif's name and ₹3.60 lakh in Satish's name were obtained fraudulently.

The police conducted an investigation and arrested Ikramul Haq alias Raja from Daulatpur, Ghaziabad; Mohammad Aziz from Khairabad, Sitapur; and Lakshya from Patel Marg, Ghaziabad. The police recovered ₹48,040 in cash, three mobile phones, eight debit cards, two fingerprint scanning devices, three fake Aadhaar cards, two fake PAN cards, multiple Paytm and Kotak Bank IDs, and 51 QR code stickers. The accused admitted to targeting shopkeepers in Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut by linking the scanning devices to their accounts to siphon off funds.

The gang members were found to have limited educational backgrounds, with Mohammad Aziz only having completed the 9th grade. The group also had ties with a computer center operator in Pilkhuwa, who helped them create fake IDs. After interrogation, all three suspects were presented in court and subsequently sent to jail.