January 24 marked a triumph for Kolkata Cyber Police, who busted a pernicious cyber gang preying on social media users with malicious links leading to phone hacks and bank heists. Five arrests and a trove of devices later, the scam’s inner workings are under the microscope.
Stemming from a December 19 case filing, intelligence from earlier busts guided a raid in Maheshtala. Detained were Abhimanyu ‘Raja’ Kumar (22), Sejen Phillips (22), Mohammad Samar (20), Neeraj Kumar (28), and Mohammad Imran (19), spanning Bihar and Maharashtra origins.
The seizure list is telling: 10 laptops, 24 mobiles, 2 routers, plus screenshots of illicit activities. These tech whizzes built APK malware, masquerading it in social media promotions and lures. One install, and victims’ phones became puppets—exposing banking secrets, UPI access, OTPs for seamless thefts.
Money vanished into a labyrinth of accounts, leaving users stunned by unauthorized debits. Interlinks with prior arrestees confirm a syndicate at work, orchestrating fraud on an industrial scale.
Ongoing inquiries aim to uproot accomplices and recover losses. This episode underscores social media’s dark underbelly, where greed-fueled hackers exploit trust.
Protective measures abound: verify sources, shun unsolicited downloads, monitor accounts closely. Kolkata’s bold action reaffirms commitment to digital safety, urging nationwide vigilance against evolving cyber predation.