TGCSB Arrests Gang of Fraudsters Targeting PM Loan Schemes

Hyderabad: A gang of eight scamsters, who are duping potential beneficiaries under the pretext of Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma loan, Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) and various other centrally sponsored schemes were arrested by Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Thursday.

In a joint operation TGCSB and Kothakota Police of Wanaparthy district, on 29th August 2024, arrested a gang of eight members involved in a large- scale loan fraud. The accused were identified as Varthiyavath Narsingh, Rathlavath Ramesh, Pothulapally Kurumurthy, Eslavath Ramulu, Kothapally Umesh, Boya Veeresh, Eslavath Suraj and Varthiyavath Praveen.

On 21st January 2024, a male resident of Kothakota town filed a company stating that he applied for a PM Vishwakarma community work loan of 1,00,000 at a Mee Seva centre in Kothakota town. Explaining further, the complaint said, “On 11th July 2024, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, asking him to pay a fee for the sanction of the PM Vishwakarma loan through PhonePe and Google Pay.

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Believing the same complaint transferred Rs 12,250 through two transactions.Further the unknown caller then asked him to pay an additional Rs 9,000 but he refused. When the victim attempted to contact the unknown person again, there was no response. Realizing he had been duped, he immediately reported the incident through the toll-free number 1930, requesting legal action against the cyber offender.

TGCSB who jumped into action conducted a data analysis team which pointed out a large-scale scam from the numerous complaints reported on the NCRP portal against several mobile numbers. “The team focused on this issue and discovered that many FIRs had been registered at various police stations across Telangana and other states against these fraudsters, who were using the names Mudra and Dhani loans to scam people. The fraudsters primarily targeted Telugu-speaking individuals,” said TGCSB Director Shikha Goel.

Further data analysis teams gathered critical clues leading to the apprehension of the accused. Based on these clues, the DSP Wanaparthy, along with Kothakota Police, conducted a joint operation and arrested eight individuals, including the main fraudster, added Goel.

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The operation resulted in the seizure of 26 mobile phones and four two-wheelers used in the commission of the crime. After the mobile phones were seized, they were analyzed for crime links through the CyCAPS application, revealing that the accused were involved in 55 FIRs and 373 NCRP petitions.

TGCSB cautioned the public not to send money towards processing fees, registration, income tax, GST, etc., for obtaining loans from Mudra, Dhani, or any other loan provider. Be cautious of unsolicited calls offering loans. Always approach the nearest offices of loan- providing companies in person to verify their authenticity. If you fall prey to loan fraud, report it to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.