Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have arrested five individuals from Assam for allegedly defrauding a foreign bank of Rs. 1.26 crore using bogus credit cards created with forged documents and stolen customer data, officials announced on Thursday.
The crime branch, with assistance from local authorities in Assam, conducted the operation in Morigaon district, a region notorious for cybercrime activities.
The accused—Mohebur Aslam Rehman (28), Azarul Islam (27), Iliyas Islam (25), Aub Bakar Siddique Ramzan Ali (37), and Moinuddin Ahmed (26)—were apprehended from five villages, described by authorities as hubs of cybercriminal activity akin to Jharkhand’s infamous Jamtara district.
The investigation began last year after a vice-president of HSBC Bank filed a complaint, revealing that 55 fraudulent credit cards were issued using forged documents and personal data of genuine customers with high CIBIL scores.
High CIBIL scores, indicative of good creditworthiness, made these individuals prime targets for the scheme.
The fraudsters used the credit cards for online shopping and funneled funds into various bank accounts. The total loss was estimated at Rs. 1.26 crore.
Upon registering the complaint at Azad Maidan Police Station in South Mumbai, the case was handed to the crime branch’s Unit 3.
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Investigators traced suspicious transactions, mobile phone usage, and other digital evidence, leading them to Morigaon.
After gathering substantial proof against the organized gang, a police team traveled to Assam and apprehended the suspects.
The accused are being transported to Mumbai, where they will face legal proceedings in court.
