Deoghar police bust alleged cyber fraud network, arrest 15

Police have arrested 15 people in Deoghar for their alleged involvement in a cyber fraud network, recovering 19 mobile phones and 13 SIM cards during raids conducted in the Palajori and Margomunda police station areas.

The arrests were made on September 30 following an investigation into suspected cybercrime activities, police said.

According to investigators, the suspects allegedly posed as customer-care representatives of platforms such as Flipkart, Amazon Pay and PhonePe, as well as officials associated with Airtel Payments Bank. They allegedly contacted potential victims with offers of fake cashback schemes and used the names of government programmes, including PM-Kisan, to gain their confidence.

Police said the suspects also allegedly used malicious APK files as part of the fraud. These files were reportedly circulated under the pretext of PM-Kisan benefits, electricity bills, RTO challans and Aadhaar updates. Once installed on a victim's phone, such applications can potentially provide fraudsters with access to sensitive information or enable unauthorised transactions.

During the technical examination of the seized mobile phones and their IMEI numbers, police found that the devices were linked to complaints relating to cyber fraud registered in different states, officials said.

Three of the arrested suspects — Mithun Ansari, Saim Ansari and Ramesh Kumar Mandal — had allegedly been named in earlier cases registered with the Deoghar Cyber Police Station.

The arrested persons have been identified as Gafarruddin Ansari, Gulfaan Ansari, Saim Ansari, Mithun Ansari, Rajesh Kumar, Tipu Sultan, Abdullah Ansari, Ibrahim Ansari, Safauddin Ansari, Ramesh Kumar Mandal, Rohit Kumar Mandal, Pradum Kumar, Vijay Mandal, Ranjit Mandal and Chandan Mandal.

The accused are residents of Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara and Dhanbad districts.

Police said the investigation is continuing, with the seized devices being examined to establish the extent of the alleged network and identify other transactions or individuals potentially connected with the cases.

The raids were conducted under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Prasad Mahto on the directions of Deoghar Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar.

The case highlights the growing use of fake customer-care identities and fraudulent APK files in cybercrime, with police advising users to avoid installing applications received through unsolicited messages or links, particularly when they are presented as government-service updates or financial offers.