Guwahati: The Ahmedabad cybercrime branch has arrested two individuals from Assam in connection with an inter-state cyberfraud racket that utilized artificial intelligence tools to fraudulently obtain loans from multiple banks. The accused have been identified as Kazimuddin Ali and Rabbul Hussain, both residents of the Morigaon district. Police confirmed that the arrests were made on Friday.
Case Registration and Investigation
A case has been registered under Sections 43, 66, and 66(c) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, along with Sections 336 (2) and (3), 317 (2), and 319 (2) of the BNS Act. Investigating officer JP Thakor detailed the modus operandi, stating, “They used private fintech and business verification platforms to identify potential victims and obtain their GST and PAN-related details, which enabled them to access their CIBIL reports. The victims were randomly selected through social media.”
Method of Operation
Thakor explained that the accused extracted the contact numbers of financially stable victims from their CIBIL reports. They then used digital tools to obtain the victims’ Aadhaar details using the contact information. Subsequently, the accused downloaded photographs of the victims from social media platforms and employed AI tools to create deepfake videos. These videos were used to contact individuals who had access to common service centre operator biometric kits. The accused then manipulated the system to replace the victims’ registered mobile numbers and other details on the Aadhaar with their own.
“Once the mobile number linked to the victims’ Aadhaar records was changed, the accused gained access to their personal information and, using forged documents and fabricated credentials, opened bank accounts and availed loans in the victims’ names,” Thakor added.
Arrests and Roles
Police have arrested four persons from Gujarat, one from Uttar Pradesh, and two from Assam in connection with the racket. The police revealed that Rubul handled the AI tools, while Kazimuddin was responsible for routing the proceeds through his bank account.
