GUWAHATI: The Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended five individuals from Assam in connection with an elaborate credit card fraud scheme. This group allegedly exploited the personal documents of individuals with strong CIBIL scores to fraudulently acquire credit cards from a financial institution, subsequently maxing out these cards. The investigation traces back to last year when a First Information Report (FIR) was filed in Mumbai after the gang secured credit cards using the identities of 55 unsuspecting victims. In total, they managed to withdraw ₹1.26 crore through these cards. Utilizing technical intelligence, the crime branch located the suspects in Morigaon, a town approximately 77 kilometers from Guwahati, Assam, and executed their arrests on Thursday.
Senior Inspector Sadanand Yernekar of Crime Branch Unit III reported that the suspects submitted forged documents to obtain 55 credit cards, which they then used for substantial purchases. When payments were not made, the bank’s efforts to reach the cardholders uncovered the fraudulent nature of the documents, prompting the filing of an FIR. Following this, the crime branch initiated a thorough investigation, tracing various financial activities that ultimately led them to Morigaon. Investigators discovered that the gang operated in a highly systematic fashion, with one member tasked with identifying individuals with high CIBIL scores online, as such profiles were more likely to receive credit card approvals.
After identifying potential victims, the gang would create a forged PAN card in the name of the targeted individual. An associate operating an Aadhaar card center in Assam would then utilize the counterfeit PAN to generate a corresponding Aadhaar card. Another member of the gang would leverage these fraudulent documents to apply for credit cards and, in some cases, loans. To obtain the credit cards, a different gang member would travel to Mumbai or Delhi, using the fictitious address provided in the application.
Once the cards were acquired, they would be distributed to other members of the group, who would rapidly deplete the card limits before abandoning them. The fraud was only uncovered when the banks attempted to recover the outstanding debts. An investigating officer noted that Morigaon has emerged as a significant hub for cybercrime in the Northeast over recent years, with numerous gangs focusing on banking and financial fraud of this kind.
