A notorious interstate OLX fraudster, who cheated as many as 200 victims on OLX and sold their pre-owned mobiles worth Rs 60 lakh has been arrested by a special team of Panjagutta on Monday. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: A notorious interstate OLX fraudster, who cheated as many as 200 victims on OLX and sold their pre-owned mobiles worth Rs 60 lakh has been arrested by a special team of Panjagutta on Monday.
The accused Mirasala Balaji Naidu alias Balaji (35) a graduate from SV University in computer engineering and a native of Tirupati district AP was arrested at Erramanzil, ACP Panjagutta S. Mohan Kumar, stated in a press meet on Monday.
Balaji Naidu, during interrogation revealed that he cheated near about 200 people who have used OLX platform for selling their pre-owned mobiles and cheated to the tune of Rs 60 lakh, Mohan Kumar said.
Balaji Naidu started targeting individuals selling pre-used mobile phones on OLX, agreeing to their price without negotiation, and then reposting the same phones at a lower price using the original photos of the mobiles, ACP said.
Accused Balaji’s modus operandi was to direct interested buyers to the original sellers for verification, posing as the brother of both parties and instructing them not to discuss transaction details, ACP stated.
Naidu would then provide a UPI ID or QR code for payment, after which he would block both the buyer and the seller phone numbers upon receiving the money.
This fraud, ongoing since 2018, has reportedly duped nearly 200 individuals, with a total fraud amount ranging from 50 to 60 lakhs rupees. Prior to receiving payments, Naidu manipulated unsuspecting individuals at CDM or ATM centers, claiming technical issues and using their UPI IDs for transactions, he further said.
He spent the duped money into online betting apps like DafaBet, SARA, Rummy Time, and Rummy Circle, losing it all to his vices.
Naidu has previously committed numerous offenses using different mobile numbers around 23 SIM cards of various service providers, of whom 138 victims have lodged complaints with National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) against him across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from it, 19 cases have been registered directly at various Police stations in Tri Commissionarate, that is the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda of Telangana and in Vijayawada and Tirupati of A.P, he said.
The cumulative amount defrauded is estimated to be between 50 to 60 lakhs rupees.
Accused Balaji Naidu who was earlier from Bangalore, AP police has been produced before the court for judicial remand.
The police urge citizens to exercise caution when buying or selling on online platforms like OLX. Verify the identity of the other party, avoid sharing sensitive information, and be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. The arrest was made under the supervision of S. M. Vijay Kumar, DCP west zone and detective team of Panjagutta police.
Balaji Naidu, during interrogation revealed that he cheated near about 200 people who have used OLX platform for selling their pre-owned mobiles and cheated to the tune of Rs 60 lakh, Mohan Kumar said.
Balaji Naidu started targeting individuals selling pre-used mobile phones on OLX, agreeing to their price without negotiation, and then reposting the same phones at a lower price using the original photos of the mobiles, ACP said.
Accused Balaji’s modus operandi was to direct interested buyers to the original sellers for verification, posing as the brother of both parties and instructing them not to discuss transaction details, ACP stated.
Naidu would then provide a UPI ID or QR code for payment, after which he would block both the buyer and the seller phone numbers upon receiving the money.
This fraud, ongoing since 2018, has reportedly duped nearly 200 individuals, with a total fraud amount ranging from 50 to 60 lakhs rupees. Prior to receiving payments, Naidu manipulated unsuspecting individuals at CDM or ATM centers, claiming technical issues and using their UPI IDs for transactions, he further said.
He spent the duped money into online betting apps like DafaBet, SARA, Rummy Time, and Rummy Circle, losing it all to his vices.
Naidu has previously committed numerous offenses using different mobile numbers around 23 SIM cards of various service providers, of whom 138 victims have lodged complaints with National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) against him across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from it, 19 cases have been registered directly at various Police stations in Tri Commissionarate, that is the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda of Telangana and in Vijayawada and Tirupati of A.P, he said.
The cumulative amount defrauded is estimated to be between 50 to 60 lakhs rupees.
Accused Balaji Naidu who was earlier from Bangalore, AP police has been produced before the court for judicial remand.
The police urge citizens to exercise caution when buying or selling on online platforms like OLX. Verify the identity of the other party, avoid sharing sensitive information, and be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. The arrest was made under the supervision of S. M. Vijay Kumar, DCP west zone and detective team of Panjagutta police.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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