The Goan Network
PANAJI
In what could possibly spell doom for the well-publicised cashless modes of transactions, Goa Police is suspecting a much broader and a national-scale racket involving an organised gang which specialises in installing debit-credit card point of sale (PoS) schemers. He further warned people to approach the police immediately if they experience any such suspicious transactions where a PoS terminal does not respond successfully and the shop owner attempts to use the card on another terminal.​
Three accused arrested by Goa Police on Saturday in Calangute with debit-credit card PoS schemers were promised a sum of Rs 11,000 for each swipe and intended to target the commercial establishments frequented by foreign tourists in Calangute and surrounding areas.
During their interrogation, Ramesh Singh Chauhan (46) of Umatawado, Calangute and native of Agra, UP, Alihussain Shahavuddin from Asad Galli, Agra and Abhishek Singh (29) from Anand Nagar, Agra have disclosed that they were merely the intermediaries between a gang, which deals in such specialised schemers and shop owners.
Speaking to The Goan, Deputy Inspector General of Police Vimal Anand Gupta stated, “The three accused procured the schemers from Delhi and were supposed to scout for retail outlet owners who would be willing to station the schemers on their counters for a commission.”
These intermediaries had to negotiate a cut of the Rs 11,000 figure with the outlet owners and the remainder of the commission was to be shared by the three.
“The trio had begun operating mainly in Calangute area and were focused on a list of establishments frequented by foreign tourists for the simple reason that the foreigners will not pursue the loss of their money upon returning to their home countries,” DIG Gupta informed.
Meanwhile, sources have disclosed that Abhishek and Alihussain flew to Goa from Delhi on December 1 with the two PoS card schemer machines they procured from Delhi.
The third accused Chauhan is married to a Goan and lives in Calangute.
Abhishek Singh, youngest of the three, is the son of Data Ram Naunaria, former station officer of Noida Sector 20 police station of Uttar Pradesh Police. Naunaria is among the UP Police personnel who investigated the Aarushi Talwar murder in Noida in 2008 in the initial stages of the probe.
The trio was arrested in Calangute with debit/credit card schemers when they were looking for prospective clients and outlets to deploy the machines.
Cyber crime police along with Calangute police worked on a tip off from Deputy Superintendent of Police Nelson Albuquerque and arrested the three accused within ten days.
It was learnt that the cyber crime police have retrieved one schemer from the possession of one of the accused and another schemer from the place where it was installed.
Two schemers, one laptop, four mobiles, two pen drives and seven debit cards and other articles have also been attached from the possession of the accused.
The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act, 2000 for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property with common intention and for hacking with computer system. They have been remanded to four days police custody.
