Hyderabad: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Tuesday, September 24, announced the arrest of a SIM card fraudster in Karimnagar.
The accused, Mohammad Asif Pasha, was arrested on Monday, September 23, for his role in a scheme that exploited the bank accounts of a deceased retired government official.
The fraud involved Md. Samiuddin, a retired Superintendent from the Irrigation department passed away in 2022. Samiuddin had bank accounts with SBI and Canara Bank, linked to his mobile number, which was also associated with his sister’s account.
The scheme was orchestrated by Pasha and an accomplice, Jahangir, who was known to Samiuddin and shared confidential information with Pasha.
In June 2024, the duo blocked Samiuddin’s Airtel SIM card and fraudulently reactivated it under Pasha’s name using forged documents.
This allowed them to access various banking applications, including PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay, through which they illicitly transferred a total of Rs. 20,18,557 from the accounts of both Samiuddin and his sister, the police said.
Following a detailed investigation by the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) in Karimnagar, Pasha was traced and arrested. During the operation, authorities seized Rs. 18,00,000 in cash along with a mobile phone and credit cards linked to the fraudulent activities.
Pasha was subsequently presented before a magistrate, while efforts continue to locate Jahangir.
In light of this incident, authorities urged the public to take precautions regarding their personal information, such as protecting account-linked mobile numbers and being vigilant against unsolicited messages or links received via social media platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp.
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