Jamtara Police have arrested four men accused of posing as bank officials and using fake cashback offers to trick people into revealing banking information or interacting with fraudulent links and applications.
The arrests were made during separate raids in Narayanpur and Karmatanr police station areas.
Police recovered nine mobile phones and 10 SIM cards from the accused and have begun examining the devices for links to additional victims and other cyber fraud cases.
The four accused have been identified as Hasim Ansari, 28, Syed Ansari, 31, Kosar Ansari, 26, and Aftab Hussain, 19.
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One Arrested in Narayanpur, Three in Karmatanr
The operation followed intelligence received by Jamtara Superintendent of Police Shambhu Kumar Singh about suspected cyber fraud activity.
A special team led by Cyber DSP Amit Ravidas conducted raids at two locations.
Police arrested Hasim Ansari from Banka village under Narayanpur police station.
A second raid at Sheetalpur Maidan under Karmatanr police station led to the arrests of Syed Ansari, Kosar Ansari and Aftab Hussain.
Police said all four are residents of Jamtara district.
Accused Allegedly Posed as Canara Bank Officials
Investigators say one method involved calling people while pretending to represent Canara Bank.
The accused allegedly used the identity of bank officials to gain the victim’s trust and obtain information connected with bank accounts.
Such impersonation scams commonly rely on creating urgency around an account problem, KYC issue, debit-card block or suspicious transaction.
The victim may then be persuaded to reveal card numbers, OTPs or other credentials.
Police are examining the seized phones and SIM cards to determine how many calls were made and how many victims may have responded.
₹999 PhonePe Cashback Used as Second Lure
Another alleged method involved messages claiming that users had received a ₹999 cashback through PhonePe.
Victims were allegedly told to accept the cashback through a link or option sent to them.
Police said the fraud was then carried out through a fake application after the victim interacted with the link or option.
The cashback amount itself was small enough to appear believable.
That is often useful to fraudsters because a modest reward can seem more realistic than an unusually large prize.
Once a victim believes the message is genuine, the next step may involve clicking a link, entering credentials or approving a transaction.
Fake Apps and Links Under Investigation
Police are examining whether the accused used fraudulent applications designed to imitate legitimate banking or payment interfaces.
A fake app may resemble a bank or payment service but instead capture information entered by the victim.
Fraudulent links can also redirect users to lookalike websites.
However, the exact technical mechanism used in each alleged fraud remains under investigation.
The seized devices are expected to provide more information about the apps, links, phone numbers and accounts used.
Hasim Ansari Named in Earlier Cybercrime Case
Police said Hasim Ansari had already been named as an accused in Jamtara Cyber Crime Police Station Case No. 40/26.
Investigators are now examining whether the latest alleged activity is connected with that earlier case.
Prior involvement in another investigation does not establish guilt in the current case, but it may help police map recurring phone numbers, devices or associates.
Police Suspect Interstate Operations
Jamtara Police said the accused were allegedly operating across multiple states.
Investigators are analysing call records, SIM registration details and information stored on the seized phones.
They are also examining whether the same numbers or devices appear in cybercrime complaints lodged elsewhere in India.
That process can be particularly important in Jamtara-linked investigations because callers may operate from one state while victims and beneficiary bank accounts are spread across several others.
Similar Cashback Fraud Was Busted Earlier
The latest arrests follow another Jamtara crackdown in July in which police arrested nine accused allegedly involved in fake cashback schemes and bank impersonation.
In that case, police seized 27 mobile phones, 39 SIM cards and a tablet.
The accused were alleged to have used fake cashback messages and impersonated bank officials to obtain confidential financial information.
The accused in the October case are different.
Police have not publicly established that the two groups were part of the same network.
Nine Phones and 10 SIM Cards Being Examined
The seized mobile phones and SIM cards will now form a central part of the investigation.
Police are likely to examine call logs, saved contacts, messaging applications, browsing history and links sent to potential victims.
SIM registration records may help identify whether the numbers were obtained using genuine or false identity documents.
Investigators will also attempt to trace bank or wallet accounts allegedly used to receive proceeds from the fraud.
Case Registered at Cyber Police Station
Police said a case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act and Telecommunications Act.
The investigation is continuing into how many people may have been targeted and whether other people helped the accused operate the alleged network.
The four arrested men have not been convicted, and the allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
What this means for you
Cashback offers do not require you to reveal OTPs, card details or banking passwords. Never install an unknown application or open an unfamiliar link simply because a message claims that money, cashback or a refund is waiting for you.
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