One more accused arrested in OTP Sharing Scam to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives
Bureau,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar:STF arrested another accused in the above mentioned case. Earlier four accused were arrested in this case (previous Press note dated 14.05.2023 & 8.6.2023 enclosed below).
Pritam Kar (31 years) of Vill: Bhurunga PS: Bari Ramchandrapur Dist. Jajpur was arrested by STF on 10.06.2023. He will be produced before Bhubaneswar court today.He and his associates are doing this illegal business (OTP sharing, Mule accounts/ pre-activated digital wallets selling to cyber criminals including PIO/ISI agents) since 2017.
He was in direct touch with at least two PIO/ISI agents and had physically met them multiple times in other states and had recently received Rs 1.5 lakh for selling OTP/ Mule accounts/ digital wallets.
It is also learnt that the SIM and Debit card used by the accused in last year’s Mangalore Auto blast (terror act) was provided by Pritam Kar.
He has sold thousands of pre—activated SIM cards, OTPs and Mule accounts/ digital wallets till date. He used to charge up to Rs.1000 per SIM and up to Rs 30,000 per accounts for mule accounts/ digital wallets.
He used to sell mule accounts/ digital wallets of India Post Payment Bank (IPPB), FiNO care, HDFC, Axis, Yes Bank, ICICI, Airtel Payment Bank, Paytm Bank etc.
He and his associate used to contact the customers through various WhatsApp group, Facebook messenger groups and Telegram groups.
He used to make WhatsApp voice call/chat to many foreign numbers too.
He was the admin of the Whatsapp group named “All saving AC available” having 113 members. He is also member of numerous such groups like-
Online-Offline Seller
OTP shop-6
All OTP available
OTP Sell/ Buy Adda
OTC KYC deals
Online Project daily
Indian top OTP group
KYC Compliance
Best OTP group
KYC Zone Etc.
Further investigation of this case is on.
Previous PRESS NOTE dated 08.06.2023
One more accused arrested in OTP Sharing Scam (to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives, STF P.S Case No.10/2023).
STF arrested one more accused in the above mentioned case. Earlier three accused were arrested in this case (previous Press note dated 14.05.2023, attached below).
Pradyumna Kumar Sahoo (32 years) of Vill: Mahitama PS: Nuagaon Nayagarh was arrested by STF on 07.06.2023. He is a graduate and had earlier worked as territory sales executive in Idea and as Jio Point manager. Now he is working at Black buck, Fastag Company. He had supplied/ sold more than 500 pre-activated SIMs and 150+ pre-activated PayTM Wallets to Pathani Samanta Lenka who was arrested earlier in this case. These SIMs and Wallets were sold to various cyber criminals and PIO (Pakistani Intelligence Operatives).
Some of the SIMs and wallets were used by PIOs/ ISI agents including some based/located inside Pakistan mainly from Karachi and Baluchistan. Further investigation in this regard is on.
It was found that accused used to generate multiple SIMs on the same identity by fooling/tricking the unsuspecting customers/ SIM buyers on the pretext of some technical issues/glitches.
It was learnt that for activation of different wallets i.e. PhonePe, Google Pay and others, the Registered Mobile Phone Numbers (which is linked with the Bank Account) are mandatory but in case of Paytm wallet account, the customer once activated the same (T) OTP verification can also share the USER ID & Password to others (having different mobile number) for operating the said account. STF will study/analyze this and if needed, will write to Paytm to change the settings.
Previous Press note Dated 14.05.2023
OTP Sharing Scam (to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives)
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, 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 Pattanayak, 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. 10/2023, 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.
STF P.S Case No.10/2023).
