In a bid to unravel the complexities of a massive part-time Job Fraud linked to China, Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police have extended their investigation to Bengaluru. The move comes after the arrest of Manoj Sreenivas, a 33-year-old resident of Swagath Layout in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru, who spilled the beans on a substantial network operating in the city.
Expanding the Probe
The Ernakulam police team is collaborating with their counterparts in Bengaluru to dig deeper into the over Rs 250-crore part-time job fraud. This development follows the discovery of additional accounts managed by the fraudsters, hinting at a higher sum than the initially estimated Rs 250 crore. The decision to widen the investigation was prompted by information provided by Manoj Sreenivas.
Modus Operandi
Manoj’s arrest came about after numerous individuals from Ernakulam fell victim to scammers offering part-time online jobs. The victims were initially tasked with ‘liking’ YouTube videos and were later enticed to invest money for promised higher returns. Seduced by initial profits, victims ended up investing more money, only to be duped in the end.
Unveiling the Network of Job Fraud
Manoj Sreenivas, one of the accused, played a specific role in the operation. His responsibility was to set up current accounts where victims deposited their money. The funds were then converted to cryptocurrency and funneled to individuals in China orchestrating the network. The police team has uncovered more individuals like Manoj involved in arranging accounts for scammers operating from abroad. They are currently in Bengaluru, working with the Karnataka police to track down and apprehend these individuals, with more arrests expected soon.
Escalating Financial Scope
The investigation has revealed that the fraudsters utilized 40 current bank accounts to divert funds abroad. Recent findings indicate the discovery of additional accounts linked to transactions amounting to Rs 60 crore. These accounts have been frozen, leading investigators to suspect that the total amount swindled may surpass the initially estimated Rs 250 crore following Manoj’s arrest.
International Connections with Job Fraud
Manoj Sreenivas admitted to initiating the fraud after befriending individuals named Kevin and Jaison based in Dubai. However, the investigation later unveiled that Kevin and Jaison were Chinese nationals using fake identities.
The Ernakulam police are committed to unraveling the intricate web of this fraudulent network, seeking collaboration with law enforcement agencies to bring more perpetrators to justice in the days to come.
Read more cyber security awareness-related news here:
- Cybercrime: The invisible enemy that can cripple your business
-
India’s ‘biggest’ Databreach exposes Aadhaar details for 81.5 million people
To Learn Cybersecurity/ Ethical Hacking, visit: https://www.cctinternshala.in