Cyber Crime
Two Airtel Managers Arrested for Providing Virtual Numbers to Fraudsters from China and Indonesia
GURUGRAM: Two Airtel managers have been arrested for allegedly facilitating cyber fraud by issuing virtual phone numbers to Indonesian and Chinese criminals.
Neeraj Walia, a site inspection manager, and his senior, Hemant Sharma, were taken into custody following a complaint from a victim of online fraud. Airtel has suspended both employees, emphasizing its commitment to ethical practices and regulatory compliance.
The Cyber Fraud Case
The investigation began after a woman reported losing Rs 10,000 to scammers who lured her with a fake work-from-home opportunity.
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The fraudsters, using a Gurgaon-based virtual number, initially paid her Rs 200 for posting hotel reviews online. She was then added to a Telegram group and instructed to transfer money to various bank accounts as part of a “prepaid task” promising high returns.
While her virtual account appeared to show increasing funds with each transfer, her access was blocked when she attempted to withdraw the money.
The Investigation
A joint team from Gurgaon police and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) traced the virtual number to a fake company, Ekamdarsh Services Pvt Ltd, registered at an address in Dundahera. However, the address turned out to be bogus.
Further investigation revealed that Neeraj and Hemant had issued the Direct Inward Dialling (DID) virtual number to the sham company, violating TRAI regulations.
“Neeraj was responsible for site verification, a critical step in issuing virtual numbers, while Hemant, his team leader, oversaw the process,” said ACP Priyanshu Diwan, who led the probe.
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Links to International Cybercrime
The investigation uncovered that the duo had issued over 530 virtual numbers to an Indonesian company and several others to Chinese entities, raising serious concerns about the misuse of such numbers.
Virtual phone numbers, commonly used by companies and call centres for customer communications, are meant to be issued only to agencies operating within India.
Evidence from a WhatsApp group indicated that the accused had bypassed verification processes to issue numbers to multiple companies. Authorities are now scrutinizing the legitimacy of these entities and the purposes for which the numbers were used.
Legal Action and Airtel’s Response
Police have seized two mobile phones from the accused and registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy.
A spokesperson for Airtel stated, “We have suspended the two employees and issued a show-cause notice based on our preliminary investigation. Compliance with our code of conduct is non-negotiable.”
A Call for Stricter Oversight in the Telecom Sector
This incident has raised alarm over the potential misuse of virtual numbers and the need for stricter oversight in the telecom sector. As the investigation continues, it serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that can arise from lapses in regulatory compliance.
