The Cyber Cell of the Chandigarh Police has successfully apprehended a 23-year-old individual from Gurgaon in connection with a sophisticated online fraud case. The accused allegedly deceived a local resident out of a substantial sum of Rs 3.26 lakh by tricking him into clicking a malicious link.
The Modus Operandi: A Deceptive WhatsApp Link
According to police officials, the incident came to light on December 25 when a complaint was filed by Ramesh Singh Rawat, a resident of Maloya in Chandigarh. Rawat reported receiving a link on WhatsApp that was cleverly disguised as the official 'MParivahan' application. The message came from an unknown number.
Believing the link was related to a pending vehicle challan, Rawat clicked on it. This single action triggered a chain of events. His smartphone immediately began to malfunction. Critically, OTPs (One-Time Passwords) and banking SMS messages started getting deleted automatically from his device, leaving him unaware of the transactions happening in the background.
Unauthorized Transactions and the Digital Trail
Soon after the phone was compromised, a series of unauthorized transactions were initiated from the victim's credit cards. Investigators detailed that Rs 1.36 lakh was siphoned from one credit card and another Rs 1.90 lakh from a second card, bringing the total financial loss to Rs 3.26 lakh.
The cybercrime team launched a detailed investigation into the digital trail of the stolen money. Their probe revealed a calculated method. The fraudster, identified as Devansh Goyal, first used the illicit funds to purchase various gift cards. These gift cards were then utilized to buy gold coins, which were arranged for delivery within the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
Arrest and Recovery Based on Financial Footprint
It was this very pattern of converting stolen money into gift cards and then into physical gold that provided the crucial breakthrough for the police. By following the financial footprint and delivery details, the Cyber Cell team traced and arrested the accused, Devansh Goyal.
Upon his arrest, the police executed a recovery operation. They seized important evidence from his possession, including an iPhone 13 Pro Max smartphone and the SIM card that was allegedly used to carry out the cyber fraud. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
This arrest highlights the evolving tactics of cybercriminals who use seemingly legitimate links to install malicious software (APK) that can take control of a victim's device and financial accounts. Authorities continue to advise the public to exercise extreme caution with links from unknown sources, even if they appear to be from trusted entities.
