In a significant cybercrime bust, Mumbai’s Central Cyber Region of the Crime Branch arrested eight individuals accused of illegally porting mobile numbers using UPC codes without permission and supplying these SIM cards to cybercriminals engaged in stock investment scams. According to officials, the accused have allegedly sold approximately 30,000 SIM cards over the past year to foreign nationals and others, bypassing KYC requirements.
The Central Cyber Region’s investigation reveals that between May 14 and June 28, the suspects added a complainant to a WhatsApp group named "MSFL Stock Chart 33." They convinced the complainant to open an account on a brokerage firm’s virtual platform, promising substantial stock trading profits. By showing false virtual gains, the group pressured the complainant into transferring a total of Rs. 51.36 lakh across multiple bank accounts. Realizing he had been defrauded, the complainant approached the Central Cyber Police, which prompted Joint Commissioner Lakhmi Gautam to initiate a full investigation. Led by DCP Datta Nalawade, the police inspector Mousami Patil and team from the Central Cyber Region began the probe.
During the investigation, police detained eight suspects. A police official disclosed that certain employees of the telecom company allegedly circumvented standard KYC checks, using only UPC codes to port numbers and provide SIM cards to the accused. These SIM cards were subsequently used for fraudulent activities, revealing a massive operation where WhatsApp groups were used to deceive individuals nationwide in scams totaling crores.
A technical investigation into the mobile number associated with the WhatsApp group "MSFL Stock Chart 33" led to the arrest of eight suspects, all linked to the cellular company. The accused include Mahesh Mahadev Kadam, Rohit Kanhaiyalal Yadav, Sagar Pandurang Thakur, Mahesh Chandrakant Pawar, Raj Ravinath Aarde, Gulabchand Kanhaiya Jaiswar, Usman Ali Mohammad Rahman Sheikh, and Abu Bakar Siddiqui Yusuf.
The accused reportedly supplied SIM cards to others involved in promoting fake investment schemes on WhatsApp, which they then used for large-scale fraud targeting investors Across India.