Three held involved in WhatsApp hacking
Three held involved in WhatsApp hacking on pretext of Omicron booster
New Delhi: The Delhi Police's IFSO Unit and Special Cell apprehended three infamous cyber criminals from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, who used to breach victims' WhatsApp accounts by striking a message on Omicron booster dose.
According to KPS Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DSP), IFSO, they pretended to be government officials in order to persuade the victim to give the OTP during a conference call.
He claimed that after hacking, they would send distress messages to the victim's essential connections, enticing them to part with their money.
The IFSO Unit's Special Cell received a report alleging that the complainant received a call from an unknown number instructing him to take the booster dose.
The victim was then instructed to attend an incoming conference call, and after receiving the WhatsApp account change code, his WhatsApp was hacked, and multiple messages were sent to his friends and family.
The complainant's brother used UPI to put Rs 50,000 into the fraudster's account.
During the investigation, it was discovered that 20 more such complaints about this network had been filed on the cyber-crime portal.
On the basis of the complaint, a case was filed at the PS- Special Cell in Delhi under the relevant sections of the law.
A technical, physical, and financial study was conducted during the inquiry, and the main caller was identified as Manish Kumar, according to the police.
As a result, a raid was carried out in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and he was arrested along with two of his colleagues, Rohit Singh and Kaushlendra Singh Tomer.
During the inquiry, the kingpin Manish Kumar revealed that he learned WhatsApp hacking techniques from YouTube around a year ago and then utilised them to defraud innocent people under various pretexts.
During the Covid Pandemic, he pretended to be from the Vaccination Department and called victims, asking them to schedule booster shots, then compromising their WhatsApp accounts and scamming them.
According to the authorities, eight bank accounts, four debit cards, one cheque book, and six cellphones were seized during the investigation.
The Delhi Police has also warned the general public that fraudsters are using a new method to obtain access to WhatsApp and other social media accounts.
The scammers pose as government authorities, such as Omicron Vaccine Registration or another pretext, and persuade the victim to participate in a conference call during the call.
The conference call is about their WhatsApp and social media account's OTP, and once fraudsters have control of their WhatsApp and social media accounts, they send out SOS/distress calls to their contact list, requesting money transfer.
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