Palwinder Singh swapped Iqbal Singh’s SIM card for a duplicate one. Then he requested new debit cards linked to Iqbal Singh’s accounts and used the UPI platform to carry out numerous transactions.
A man who duped an NRI of Rs 28 lakh after learning “cyber fraud tricks from YouTube” has been arrested, Ludhiana Police said on 26/11/2024.
Iqbal Singh Sandhu, the NRI from Canada and a native of Ludhiana’s BRS Nagar discovered the fraud during his recent visit to India, the police said.
Between May 12 and October 31, a total of Rs 28 lakh was siphoned from his three bank accounts without his knowledge, the police said.
According to the police, the accused, Palwinder Singh, had worked as Iqbal Singh’s driver. Also, he additionally worked as a taxi driver. Investigations revealed that Palwinder Singh thoroughly planned the fraud after watching videos online that explained methods to access and transfer money from others’ bank accounts.
DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said that on May 11, Palwinder Singh drove Iqbal Singh to Amritsar airport for his flight to Canada. During their brief stopover at an eatery, Palwinder Singh swapped Iqbal Singh’s SIM card for a duplicate one. Unaware of the swap, Iqbal Singh replaced his Indian SIM with an international one after boarding the flight.
With access to Iqbal Singh’s phone number and email password, Palwinder Singh allegedly applied his newly acquired skills. He requested new debit cards linked to Iqbal Singh’s accounts and used the UPI platform to carry out numerous transactions. He made payments at fuel stations and collected cash in return. He conducted various transactions via UPI, the police said.
The DCP added that on November 13, Iqbal Singh filed a complaint with the cybercrime police, reporting unauthorized withdrawals. A detailed investigation led the police to Palwinder Singh, who confessed to the crime during questioning.
The police have recovered Rs 13.58 lakh, along with several passbooks, checkbooks, and debit cards.
