Two cyber fraudsters arrested for blackmailing cash receivers after online transfers

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A cybercrime team has busted a blackmail racket that targeted individuals accepting cash after online transfers, later filing fake fraud complaints to freeze their bank accounts.

The accused has been identified as Rahil Shaikh (37, Wadala Shivar, Nashik), and Pravin Vaishnav (47, Sinnar, Nashik) were arrested from Jalgaon district on November 6. Police seized Rs 3.37 lakh and a car from their possession. The racket came to light after Raju Kuklare, who runs an SBI customer service centre at Ranjangaon Pol in Gangapur, was cheated on August 29. A man sought Rs 80,000 in cash, promising an online transfer. After the transaction, Kuklare received a threatening call and later found his account frozen following a fake cyber fraud complaint. Similar incidents were reported by Karan Rajput and Devidas Lingayat (Gangapur), Ganpat Nangre (Paithan), and Rishikesh Kale (Ellora). In every case, the accused extorted money from victims to withdraw false complaints. Following Kuklare’s complaint on September 4, Gangapur Cyber Police tracked the fraudsters using phone records, bank transactions, and location data. After a chase near Muktainagar police station, both were nabbed while attempting to flee to Madhya Pradesh. During interrogation, they admitted to similar crimes across Shrirampur, Sangamner, Jalna, Jalgaon, Muktainagar, Deulgaon Raja, and parts of Madhya Pradesh. The operation was led by police inspector Sanjay Deshmukh and assistant police inspector Vijaysingh Jonwal of the Rural Cyber Police.