Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Aug: The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand Police has arrested a cyber fraud accused who had been absconding for nearly a year.
The accused, Sharif Mohammad, was involved in cheating people on OLX by posing as an army or paramilitary jawan. He targeted people who posted advertisements for renting houses. To gain their trust, he shared fake Aadhaar cards and identity proofs on WhatsApp.
One victim from Dehradun was duped of Rs 12.46 lakh, which he transferred into different bank accounts.
To escape arrest, Sharif Mohammad was hiding in Jaipur, about 300 km away from his home in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, until the STF tracked him down and arrested him.
He misled the victims by saying that, as per army rules, even the house owner has to deposit advance money before renting out the house. Believing this, a victim from Dehradun transferred a total of Rs 12.46 lakh into different bank accounts.
The case was registered in 2022 at Cyber Crime Police Station, Dehradun. During the investigation, evidence was found and a chargesheet was filed. A non-bailable warrant was also issued against him by the court. To escape police, Sharif Mohammad kept changing his location and was living secretly in Jaipur.
The cyber police team kept a close technical watch and finally traced his location. He was arrested and presented before the Dehradun court for further action under relevant sections of the law.
During questioning, the accused admitted that he used fake IDs, mobile numbers, and bank accounts to cheat people. He also revealed that he and his associates were involved in other online frauds, including fake investment schemes and OLX scams. Police have recovered a mobile phone from him, and further investigation is on to identify his network.
