Representative image for an arrest.
Credit: iStock photo
Udupi: The CEN Crime police had busted an interstate cyber fraud racket that created a fake Campa Cola franchise website to cheat unsuspecting applicants. The arrested hail from Bihar and police have seized cash, laptops, and mobile phones worth Rs 6.15 lakh.
The arrested are Dev Harsha and Chandan Kumar. The Udupi police had carried out coordinated operations in Patna and Bengaluru to arrest them. The team seized 10 mobile phones valued at Rs 97,000, four laptops worth Rs 68,000, and Rs 4.5 lakh in cash from their possession.
Following a complaint from Avinash, the police had registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the BNS Act. In his complaint, he said that he had applied online for a Campa Cola franchise, a brand owned by Reliance through a website he believed was genuine. Soon after, he received emails and calls from the fraudsters seeking documents and claiming his application was approved. Trusting them, he shared his educational certificates, bank statement, and Aadhaar card.
Later, he was asked to make payments towards “registration” and “product booking”. In total, he transferred Rs 5.72 lakh to various bank accounts. When they continued to demand more money, Avinash grew suspicious and realised he was duped.
The arrests were made under the supervision of ASP Dr Harsha Priyamvada, with support from Circle Inspector Nilesh G Chavan, PSI Ashok Kumar, and cyber crime personnel.