One More Arrested in OTP Sharing Scam to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar:STF arrested one more in OTP Sharing Scam to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives.

One 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.

STF P.S Case No.10/2023).

Previous Press note Dated 14.0.2023

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 then 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.