Man Arrested for Hacking E-mail ID, Using It to Dupe Contacts by Sending Emergency Messages

A 40-year-old man was arrested who was part of a gang that duped people by hacking their email IDs and sending distress messages to their contacts asking for money, police said Tuesday. Mohammad Akram Ali, a resident of Shaheen Bhagh, was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a retired senior diplomat at the Defence Colony Police Station, they said.

In his complaint, the retired diplomat had said that he had received an email following which his id was hacked and emergency messages were sent to his contacts, police said. They said two contacts of the retired officer later deposited around Rs 1,40,000 in the accused person's account, that were opened using fake documents.

Explaining their modus operandi, the police said there are some online cheaters who send e-mails to people and when they enter their user name and password, their ids get hacked. After getting the user name and password, the accused sent emails to the contacts and demanded money for an emergency situation, they said.

Ali's work was to arrange bank accounts on forged documents in which the money had to be received, police said. After the retired officer's complaint, police analysed the email id, bank accounts and mobile phone details of the complainant and found that all the SIM cards and the accounts were opened on the basis of fake documents, a senior police officer said.

"During investigation, police got a technical lead and the identity of suspect was revealed. On Saturday, police arrested Akram from Shaheen Bagh," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said. During interrogation, the accused said he and his associates have cheated several people, the DCP said.

He used to provide bank accounts opened on the basis of fake documents to his one associate who was in touch with some foreign accomplice, who transferred the cheated amount in the bank accounts procured by Akram, Thakur said. A total of 16 ATM cards, 32 cheque books and 25 passbooks were recovered from his possession, they said.

Efforts are being made to nab the remaining accomplices, they added.