Patna, Bihar – In a major breakthrough, Bihar’s Nalanda Police has successfully arrested a gang of eight cyber criminals in Patna. These individuals have been accused of cloning the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, as a part of a complex fraudulent scheme. The arrests were triggered by complaints of unauthorized bank account transactions resulting from the victims’ interactions with the cloned website.
Details of the Operation:
- Unearthing Illegal Activities: The arrests were carried out in response to a complaint filed by eight farmers from Akair village in Nagarnausa police station. This complaint exposed the criminals’ illegal withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts.
- Elaborate Cloning: The cyber criminals executed their scheme by creating a replica of the official Ministry of Agriculture website using the domain “agriculture.in”. Victims were deceived into providing their personal data through this cloned website, which even included a fake mobile number for the Kisan Call Center contact.
- The Raid and Seizures: A successful raid, led by DSP Jyoti Shankar, resulted in the arrest of eight individuals on August 8. During the operation, law enforcement confiscated a substantial amount of evidence. This evidence included ₹7.25 lakhs in cash, 24 mobile phones, three laptops, cloning equipment, rubber-like material with 713 fingerprints, ATM cards, SIM cards, and other tools associated with their fraudulent activities.
- Extended Impact: Beyond immediate arrests, the operation unveiled additional victims of the cyber crime. A separate case connected to the Hilsa police station area revealed more than 18 individuals who fell prey to similar scams.
This successful crackdown emphasizes the importance of stringent cybersecurity measures and active law enforcement to combat cyber crimes. The incident also serves as a cautionary reminder for individuals to exercise vigilance while sharing personal information online.
