Telangana police bust gang which collected old mobile phones and sold them to cyber fraudsters in Jharkhand

Telangana police warns against selling old phones to unknown individuals; gang busted supplying phones to cyber fraudsters.

The Telangana police has issued an advisory warning citizens against selling or giving away their old mobile phones to unknown individuals following the discovery of a new modus operandi of cyber criminals.

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) busted a gang that was collecting and then supplying old mobile phones to the cyber fraudsters conning citizens across the country from ‘call centres’ located in Jharkhand.  

Three men from Bihar were arrested near the Power House Colony of Godavarikhani while buying old mobile phones either at low prices or in exchange of plastic items from residents in Ramagundam and neighbouring districts for the past month.  

The three men who were arrested are 30-year-old Mohammad Shamim, 28-year-old Abdul Salam, and 32-year-old Mohammad Iftikhar, all residents of Hathiya Diyara in Bihar. Three gunny bags containing approximately 4,000 old mobile phones were seized from them. 

According to the TGCSB officials, the accused were collected the phones to transport them to an associate in Bihar, from where they would be supplied to the cyber fraudsters operating from Jamtara, Deoghar and other areas of Jharkhand. “This associate was involved in changing software and other components of the mobile phones before selling them to cyber fraudsters, which are then used to scam people,” said TGCBS Director Shikha Goel.

Akthar Ali, 37, a used mobiles shop owner has also been arrested by Rautara police in Bihar.