Accused held, was inspired by ‘Crime Patrol’
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 16: Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar today busted a fake job scam that was being operated through Facebook.
Police said that the Cyber Police received a written complaint from a lady from Baramulla alleging that she has been cheated by an unknown Facebook user operating multiple fake Facebook accounts and impersonating as Project Officer in ICDS on the pretext of providing a job to her.
The police said that on receipt of this complaint case FIR No. 23/2020 under relevant sections of law was registered in Cyber Police Station and the investigation was set into motion.
“During the course of investigation, the said unknown Facebook user was found operating more than 15 fake Facebook accounts (male & female) and had fraudulently obtained a number of SIM cards from the victims which he was using to cheat and deceive the female victims especially young and destitute girls,” the police said
It said that the accused, by his vicious and wicked plans, has grabbed lakhs of rupees from the victims on the pretext of providing them jobs.
Detailing on the modus operandi, the police said that it includes the creation of fake Facebook accounts by using profile pictures of high profile dignitaries mostly associated with politics and television and sending friend requests to the young girls who were allured by the profiles of the accused and would often chat with the accused who used to impress them with his flagitious activities and promises of offering jobs to them.
“He made them believe that he could help them in getting jobs and consequently coerced them to pay money. The accused also used to compel the young girls to share their objectionable photos and videos and using the same for blackmailing,” the police said.
It said that he (the accused) would make victims transfer money not into his personal account but in the accounts of other victims who were cheated in the same manner and subsequently used to collect the amount by sending some other person(s) to avoid himself getting exposed.
The accused, the police said, used to frequently change his mobile phones and SIM cards and create new Facebook accounts on the name of high posted Govt employees and made victims believe that they too have been provided jobs by him.
The accused has been identified as Mohammad Hussain Mir alias Bitta Morray son of Late Ghulam Qadir Mir of Lazibal, KP Road Anantnag, a shopkeeper by profession and has been arrested.
“During the further investigation the accused has been found to have used various devices and has cheated more than 100 destitute and young girls belonging to Kashmir as well as Jammu Division who were in desperate need of Govt Jobs,” the police said.
During questioning the accused person admitted that he was inspired by a famous TV serial “Crime Patrol” and he learnt the modus operandi of social media crimes by watching the said serial.
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