Hyderabad: The detective department of the Hyderabad police is gearing up to nab the Bharatpur gang that is reportedly looting people across the country on the pretext of selling used automobiles and electronic items. There have been instances when police teams going to Rajasthan to nab the cyber fraudsters have been attacked by locals.
The Bharatpur gang has been notorious for the last six months with over 1,000 persons from Telangana state falling prey. The gang posts advertisements on OLX about selling used cars. It uses pictures of Army personnel collected from social media websites to establish its credentials. The gang’s post contains pictures of cars in mint condition and they are offered for sale for half the actual price or less.
“When a prospective customer calls, the gang member who answers the call introduces himself as an Army jawan who has recently got transferred from Hyderabad, and is willing to sell his vehicle which is parked at RGI airport. He asks the caller to deposit some money towards advance and then provides the contact number of a person, mostly female, who impersonates a customs official. The buyer will be asked to deposit money towards various clearances and taxes and after that the gang member stops taking calls,” said a cyber crime police official, explaining the modus operandi of the gang.
“We suspect that the entire village is extending support to the gang members, which is why the locals resort to violence against the police when the teams try to catch the gang. A team of about 20 personnel is heading to Bharatpur and we are carrying licensed weapons for personal safety,” said a police official who is part of the team.
Detective department DCP Avinash Mohanty said “Olx fraud cases have been increasing in recent times. We appeal to the public not to fall prey to the advertisements of selling used cars on the name of army personnel. The crooks are using the pictures of army personnel only to gain the confidence of the public and are looting huge amounts of money.”
