In a shocking revelation, a mobile store owner from Delhi was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in providing fake SIM cards to a cyber fraud syndicate. The deceitful gang then utilized these fraudulent SIM cards as a means to deceive innocent individuals under the guise of offering easy loans, as confirmed by the authorities on Thursday.

The suspect in question, identified as 28-year-old Rajnish Kumar, was apprehended earlier this week by the police. He operated his SIM card and mobile phone sales and repair shop located in Rampura, Delhi. According to the investigators, Kumar had established his shop approximately a year ago and had been continuously supplying fake SIM cards to the criminal elements ever since.

During the interrogation, Kumar admitted to distributing a minimum of 12 counterfeit SIM cards in recent times. However, the authorities suspect that the actual number of supplied cards could exceed 100 within the past year alone, potentially leading to over 500 individuals falling victim to the fraudulent activities of the gang.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime) Priyanshu Dewan shed light on the modus operandi employed by the suspect, indicating that the fake SIM cards were being sold by Kumar at exorbitant rates ranging from ₹1000 to ₹1500, a stark contrast to the standard cost of ₹50-100 for a legitimate SIM card.

The illicit activities of the gang came to light when they defrauded a Gurugram resident of ₹50,000 by luring him with the promise of an instant personal loan back in December of the previous year. Dewan highlighted that the cheats used two of the SIM cards supplied by Kumar to establish contact with the victim.

The suspect, originally hailing from Gopalganj in Bihar, exploited the personal documents submitted by ordinary citizens to procure fraudulent SIM cards by inputting random details along with the contact information of his mobile repair technician in the cellular service provider’s database to receive the activation OTP.

Following a complaint lodged by the victim on December 25, an FIR was filed against the unidentified suspects under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code at the cybercrime police station. The police have successfully identified the alleged members of the gang and the individual responsible for procuring the fake cards from Kumar, with imminent plans to apprehend them in due course.

As the investigation unfolds, authorities are focused on dismantling the cyber fraud ring and bringing all perpetrators to justice. The case serves as a stark reminder of the prevalent risks associated with online scams and the importance of staying vigilant against fraudulent activities in the digital realm.

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