Haryana Police’s Cyber Crime Division Disables Over 5 lakh SIM Cards In Mewat Region

MEWAT: Haryana Police’s Cyber Crime Division has taken down over 5 lakh SIM cards used in cyber fraud in the Mewat region since January 2022. Additionally, the police have identified 402 suspected criminals involved in cyber fraud in the region. Mewat, located in the Haryana district of Nuh, has seen a significant surge in cybercrime activities over the past few years.

In 2022 alone, the police investigated 66,784 allegations of fraud worth a total of Rs 301.48 crore. They have filed 2,165 cases and arrested 1,065 people as a result. In addition, transactions worth Rs 46.91 crore have been stopped, and the money recovered in similar transactions.

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The police have taken a multi-pronged approach to tackle the problem, including performing cell tower dump analysis to identify 4,96,562 mobile numbers issued in other states but only used in the Mewat region.

They have detected 15,672 additional numbers and have blocked 1,959 of them. There have been eleven suo moto instances reported, with six of these cases having suspicious linkages to other countries. The details have been communicated to the states involved.

The authorities used the Department of Telecommunications’ Artificial Intelligence and Face Recognition Driven System for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) (DoT) to detect fraudulent calls and SIM cards.

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The fraudsters were found to be making calls with a SIM card, then turning off the phone, removing the SIM, and inserting a fresh SIM into the same phone to make the next call. Although six SIM cards can be granted on a single identity document, a dozen were issued here. The offenders frequently targeted individuals in remote areas to avoid detection.

“One individual obtains SIM cards using forged documents, the second obtains bank accounts and payment apps related to these SIM cards, the third calls and dupes potential targets, and the fourth withdraws the money,” explained an official.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also expressed concern about cybercrime in Mewat. The police have urged people to be vigilant and cautious while sharing personal and financial information online.

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