Three individuals have been taken into custody for reportedly deceiving a retired Kerala High Court judge out of Rs 90 lakh through a counterfeit share trading platform, as per police reports on Saturday.
The accused have been identified as Mohammed Sha (33) from Kannur, along with Mirshad N (32) and Mohammad Sharjil T (22), both hailing from Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
Allegedly, the trio managed to dupe Justice Sashidharan Nambiar, a former Kerala High Court judge who now resides in Kochi, by enticing him to invest in a fictitious share trading platform they were operating.
Between December 4 and December 30, 2024, the retired judge transferred approximately Rs 90 lakh to the suspects after they promised significant returns on his investment, a promise that was not fulfilled as neither the assured profits nor the principal amount was returned.
The case was initiated following a complaint lodged through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the conned funds were transacted through more than 280 bank accounts across various states in India, with a total of 311 financial transactions documented, as reported by the police.
The perpetrators reportedly withdrew the embezzled funds through ATM and cheque transactions, subsequently converting the amount into foreign investments using cryptocurrency and Dollar exchanges.
Furthermore, investigators unveiled that the scam had connections to a wider cybercrime syndicate based in Cambodia.
The money trail pointed to funds being credited to bank accounts owned by Mohammed Sha and Mirshad in Thalassery. The duo purportedly withdrew the entire sum through 14 ATM transactions using debit cards, the police added.
Using mobile phone surveillance, the accused were tracked down to the Parakkadavu locality in Kozhikode.
Acting upon this information, a team from Kochi Cyber Crime Police Station apprehended the suspects on Friday.
During questioning, Sha and Mirshad revealed that the withdrawn money had been handed over to the third suspect, Mohammad Sharjil, who was subsequently arrested in Kozhikode.
All three individuals were brought to the Kochi City Cyber Police Station, formally arrested, and produced before a magistrate court, where they were remanded to judicial custody.
It is important to note that this story was not modified by News18 staff and is sourced from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI.
The incident sheds light on the prevalence of cyber scams and the susceptibility of individuals, even those holding esteemed positions like retired judges, to fall victim to such fraudulent schemes. It serves as a cautionary tale for the public to exercise vigilance and due diligence while engaging in financial transactions, especially in the digital realm, to avoid becoming victims of cybercrime.