Cyber fraud! 2 Airtel employees arrested for issuing over 530 virtual numbers to Indonesian, Chinese scammers: Report
- Gurugram news: Police arrested two Airtel employees for allegedly supplying virtual numbers to Indonesian and Chinese fraudsters.
Gurugram news: Police in Haryana arrested two employees from Airtel, reports have stated. According to the Times of India report, the duo have been accused of providing over 530 virtual numbers to Indonesian and Chinese fraudsters.
Here's what happened
The case came to light when a woman complained of losing ₹10,000 to fraudsters offering work-from-home jobs. According to a TOI report, the number used to contact her had a Gurugram STD code.
The telecom employees who provided scammers with virtual numbers have been identified as Site Inspection Manager Neeraj Walia and his senior, Hemant Sharma, the report stated.
Speaking on the incident, Cyber Inspector (East), Amit told TOI, “The victim was initially paid ₹200 for posting hotel reviews on a webpage."
The inspector further added, "Later, she was added to a Telegram group and instructed to transfer money to various bank accounts. This was a prepaid task, for which she was promised high returns,” as quoted by TOI.
LiveMint couldn't independently verify the report.
Priyanshu Diwan, the ACP overseeing the investigation, told TOI that the Airtel employee Neeraj was responsible for site verification, a step must for issuing phone numbers, while Hemant was his team leader. “They issued a DID (direct inward dialling) virtual landline number to the fake company, violating TRAI regulations,” the ACP said as quoted by the daily. As per the report, it was stated that these employees issued about 530 virtual numbers to an Indonesian company, along with several numbers were also provided to Chinese fraudsters.
What did Airtel say on the issue?
In a statement issued by Airtel, the spokesperson told TOI that the two employees have been suspended, and a show-cause notice has been issued following the initial investigation. The spokesperson added, "For us, compliance to the code of conduct is a prerequisite to all we do."
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Business NewsNewsIndiaCyber fraud! 2 Airtel employees arrested for issuing over 530 virtual numbers to Indonesian, Chinese scammers: Report
First Published:11 Jan 2025, 11:22 AM IST
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