Hyderabad police bust electric vehicle scam, seize 28 scooters

Modus operandi involved convincing victims to provide their identity documents in exchange for a small amount of money.

Hyderabad: A group of cybercriminals was arrested by the Hyderabad Police for purchasing electric two-wheelers using hacked personal information and bank credentials of unsuspecting victims.

The Commissioner’s Task Force, South-East Zone Team, along with the Malakpet Police, apprehended three individuals involved in this scam. The accused have been identified as Baqar (45), Tanveer (53), and Sachin (48). A total of 28 TVS iQube electric scooters worth ₹44.8 lakh were seized from them.

According to the police, Baqar, Jaffer, and Tanveer, who were engaged in the second-hand vehicle business, faced financial difficulties due to business losses. During this time, they partnered with Sachin, who was also looking to start a new business. Together, they devised a fraudulent scheme to purchase electric vehicles on finance by using the personal ID proofs of innocent and uneducated individuals.

Their modus operandi involved convincing victims to provide their identity documents in exchange for a small amount of money. The accused promised the victims that they would cover the finance installments on the purchased vehicles. After obtaining the scooters, they sold them to unsuspecting buyers at lower prices, falsely claiming the vehicles were seized by finance companies and that they had cleared the outstanding dues.

Through this scheme, they managed to acquire 27 TVS iQube and Suzuki Burgman scooters from various showrooms and finance companies. These vehicles were later sold to customers under the pretense of legal clearance.

The police investigation revealed that the group had specifically targeted acquaintances, friends, and family members to obtain their ID proofs for the fraudulent purchases. Following their arrest, the police seized the stolen vehicles and are continuing their investigation to trace other accomplices and victims involved in the scam.

The police have urged the public to remain vigilant about sharing their personal information and to report any suspicious activity to prevent such frauds.

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