Wayanad police nab Bengaluru student for digital trading scam of ₹33 lakh

Kalpetta: The Wayanad Cyber Crime Police arrested a 32-year-old law student of a private law college in Bengaluru for siphoning off ₹33 lakh from a Vellamunda native by offering profits through online trading schemes.

The arrested has been identified as Thahir, a native of Thanoor in Malappuram. The Cyber Police team, headed by Inspector Shaju Joseph, took the accused into custody from Thanur.  

A trap based on promises of easy profits 
According to police, the accused had widely advertised through messaging apps that individuals could earn additional income through part-time online jobs. In early 2024, he contacted the victim, initially assigning small financial tasks. By using fake applications, he convinced the victim that he was earning profits on the amounts invested. 

Gradually, the victim began investing large sums. However, when he attempted to withdraw the total amount in the trade account, including the displayed profit, he realised he had been defrauded. The victim subsequently filed a complaint at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, after which the case was handed over to the Wayanad Cyber Crime unit.

In October 2024, the Cyber Police arrested the first accused in the case, Fahad, also a native of Thanoor. Based on leads received from Fahad during interrogation, the police zeroed in on Thahir, who went into hiding after realising the investigating agencies were closing in on him. 

Last month, Thahir was taken into custody by the Thanur police and seized 33 ATM cards, 10 chequebooks,  bank passbooks, and four mobile phones. He was later released on conditional bail, with a directive to appear at the Tanur police station every Saturday to sign. 

32 ATM cards, 4 passbooks seized 
When he arrived to sign the register this Saturday, the Wayanad Cyber Police team was waiting around and took him into custody. 

The Cyber Police team has started an investigation into the 32 ATM cards and many bank passbooks seized from him by the Tanur police. The ATM  cards were owned by people from Koduvally in Kozhikode and various parts of Malappuram, police said. 

There are agents in rural villages who source ATM cards from people for a fee of ₹5,000 to ₹15,000, citing some innocent reason and assuring that the cards will be returned soon. The cash-strapped rural villagers fell easy prey to such offers. 

The Cyber police team that arrested Thahir includes Sub Inspector Jeleel, Additional Sub Inspector Haris, civil police officers Shyjal K, and Muhammed Anees. Thahir has been remanded to judicial custody.