Uttarakhand STF raids multiple locations in Jharkhand & Rajasthan, arrests 14 cyber frauds

DEHRADUN: Multiple teams of the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand Police on Sunday raided several locations in Jamtara district of Jharkhand and Bharatpur in Rajasthan in connection with different cyber fraud cases reported in Uttarakhand.
During the operation, STF sleuths arrested 14 cyber fraudsters from Jamtara and Bharatpur, including two accused who allegedly set up a fake Facebook profile of Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and demanded money from people on his friend list.
Ajay Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP), STF, told TOI, “We have arrested the mastermind who created a fake Facebook profile of DGP Uttarakhand. The preliminary investigation had revealed that the fraud was carried out from Bharatpur city of Rajasthan.” “The fraudsters had created a fake Facebook profile of DGP Ashok Kumar and sought Rs 5,000 from nine of his contacts by sending direct messages to them,” said Singh.
The two cyber fraudsters who made the fake profile have been identified as Zahid and Irshaad, both residents of Bharatpur in Rajasthan.The SSP added that the initial questioning has revealed an organised nexus of cyber criminals in Bharatpur. The accused told the STF that local representatives and residents of the city give patronage and cover to these cyber fraudsters.
Besides, investigation in more than half a dozen cyber fraud cases that occurred in Uttarakhand suggests the involvement of cybercriminals from Jamtara, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
While Jamtara district has been hogging the limelight for cybercrime activities for quite some time now, Bharatpur, Mathura and Mewat which form the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have lately emerged as the epicentres of several cyber frauds.