PANAJI
The Cyber Crime Cell of Goa Police arrested a Delhi businessman, who impersonated a sales executive in Bangkok, Thailand to cheat two locals of over Rs 5 lakh last year. The 41-year-old cybercriminal identified as Gurmeet Singh was arrested in Delhi and brought to Goa on Thursday on a transfer warrant.Superintendent of Police (Cyber Cell) Nidhin Valsan said the investigation team zeroed in on the accused through a money trail and digital footprints which indicated his possible location in Delhi.
“Our team was soon dispatched to Tilak Nagar, Delhi where they camped for three days to establish the identity of the fraudster and machine linkage. He was subsequently arrested and the device used in the commission of the crime was seized,” the officer revealed further while addressing a press conference at Police Headquarters on Friday.
Singh has confessed to the police that he committed the crime to tide over financial losses incurred owing to his previous business. Valsan has not ruled out the involvement of other accused to execute the cyber fraud, cases that have seen a rise in Goa in the recent past.
Hipolito Fernandes and Johnson Fernandes had lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell alleging that a person who identified himself as Kanyanat contacted them through a WhatsApp call and convinced them to buy Italy-made Line Array Speakers.
While the speakers were not delivered to the complainants, the accused was already transferred Rs 5.17 lakh approx. in different transactions. On realising they were cheated, the victims lodged a complaint seeking action.
“We are further investigating to recover the defrauded amount,” the IPS officer added.
Cybercrime: 49 FIRs registered in 2022
PANAJI: As many as 49 FIRs of cybercrime were registered in the last calendar year even as the helpline number 1930 recorded 173 complaints during the same period. SP Valsan said that out of the total cases, 17 were detected that saw arrests of 27 criminals.
“New technologies are exposing one to greater vulnerabilities. Any person should not blindly trust any unknown institution/caller or unknown social media user to share their personal or bank details with them. Report a suspicious activity to the Cyber Cell or the helpline,” he said.
