OTP Sharing Scam (to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives
Bureau,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar:Basing on the intelligence input about OTP sharing to some criminals and anti-national elements, STF conducted raids and three accused persons were apprehended namely Pathanisamant Lenka, 35 Years S/o. Late Purna Chandra Lenka of Badapandusar PS. Itamati Dist. Nayagarh ( ITI Teacher), Saroj Kumar Nayak @ Amit, 26 Years S/o. Suresh Nayak of Sakeni PO: Poibadi PS. Dasapalla Dist. Nayagarh at present staying C/o.Jyostna Sahoo, near ITI College, Achyutnagar Lane-2, Nayagarh Dist. Nayagarh and Soumya Pattanaik, 19 Years S/o. Binay Kumar Pattanaik of Udayapur , Sujanpur Dist. Jajpur. During raid various incriminating materials such as mobile phones, pre-activated SIM Cards, Laptop etc. were seized from their possession. The accused persons could not give any satisfactory answer regarding sharing of OTPs and other information’s to foreign nationals. For which they have been arrested and forwarded to the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar on 13.05.2023. In this connection STF PS Case No. 10 Dt 12.05.2023, U/s 419/ 420/ 465/ 467/ 468/471/120(B)/34 IPC r/w. 66 C & 66 D IT Act, 2000. Investigation is on. The seized materials included-
19 costly mobile phones (Including Apple mobile)
47 SIM Cards
61 ATM cards
23 SIM covers
They were fraudulently procuring huge numbers of SIMs in other’s name and selling the OTPs (linked/generated using the SIMs) to various clients including some Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO)/ ISI agents in Pakistan as well as in India. In return they would be paid by some Pakistani agents based in India. They were also
in the touch with a female PIO agent who was arrested last year in an Official secrets Act/ Honey-Trap case in Rajsthan.
These OTPs were than used to create various accounts/ Channels on social media like Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram etc. and also on online shopping site like Amazon, Flipkart etc.
These are also used in opening email accounts. People will think that these accounts are owned by an Indian but actually operated from Pakistan.
These social media platform than will be used in various kinds of Anti-India activities like Spying, communication with terrorists, radicalization, running anti-India propaganda, fuelling anti-India/ divisive sentiments on social media, sextortion, Honey-trapping etc. As these accounts are registered/linked on an Indian mobile numbers people find it trustworthy.
The accounts opened on online shopping platforms are also used to supply items to terrorists, anti-India elements etc.
Apart from these they were also in business of creating and selling mule accounts through social media groups which are again used in various kinds of crimes.
