Police Arrest Amrul Ansari in Jamtara for Cyber Fraud
The Cyber Cell of the South West District Police Station has arrested a 24-year-old fraudster named Amrul Ansari from Jamtara, Jharkhand. Ansari was involved in cheating victims through phishing links by posing as customer care representatives and persuading them to transfer money.
Details of the Fraud
On March 19, 2024, Neelam Gupta from Anand Niketan, Delhi, filed a complaint after losing around Rs. 2 lakh. She received a call about a delayed Indian Post parcel and was asked to make a payment of Rs. 3 through a link sent via WhatsApp. After entering her details, Rs. 1,79,000 and Rs. 21,000 were debited from her account. The money was transferred to a Canara Bank account in Mumbai.
Investigation and Arrest
Technical analysis traced the fraud to Jamtara, revealing multiple SIM cards active in one device linked to Ansari. A police team conducted raids in Jamtara, arresting Ansari and recovering four smartphones with SIM cards. Ansari admitted his involvement in the crime and had a prior cyber fraud case. Further analysis found two more complaints linked to him on the MHA Portal.
Government Response
On May 9, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Jharkhand government and fintech companies to redirect the state’s talent involved in cybercrimes towards ethical hacking. Addressing the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce in Ranchi, she emphasized the potential for financial regulators and the government to engage these individuals in combating cyber fraud.
Cybercrime in Jharkhand
From 2019 to July 2023, Jharkhand reported 5,350 cybercrime cases, with significant numbers in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Jamshedpur, and Hazaribagh. Despite a slight decrease, the state recorded 967 cybercrime cases in 2022, ranking second highest in the country. Notably, Jamtara, dubbed the ‘phishing capital of India,’ accounts for 2.4% of national cybercrimes. In response, the Jharkhand Police established a Cyber Crime Police Station in 2016 to address serious cybercrimes. Sitharaman also highlighted that corruption and lack of infrastructure hinder Jharkhand’s progress, wasting the state’s talent.