Dubai-based cricket betting syndicates exploit SIM cards in cyberfraud

Hyderabad police arrested four people for supplying SIM cards to Dubai-based cricket betting syndicates. The fraudsters use WhatsApp and Telegram to cheat victims, manipulate betting results, and cause financial losses, highlighting a sophisticated cybercrime method involving SIM cards.

Hyderabad: A SIM card purchased in your name by your friend or relative could be supplied to cricket betting syndicates based and operating from Dubai for a gain and used for organised betting scams.

In recent days, the police have arrested some individuals in the city who conned their friends and relatives into buying a SIM card for them and later sold it at a premium price to cricket betting organisers and are suspected to be involved in sophisticated cyber crimes. The four arrested persons include a Dubai returnee who arranged 250 SIM cards and supplied them to a Gujarat-based man, at Rs 1,200 each, who routed the cards to Dubai.

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The case was detected after a local person lost a huge amount of money in online betting. The conman was lured into online betting through a WhatsApp message and was finally trapped.

The Dubai-based cricket betting syndicates collect thousands of cards from across the globe and use them to con people. “SIM cards are used to send messages or make calls to unsuspecting people who are then conned and robbed of money on pretext of cricket and other online betting. At times, the cards are also used to commit other sophisticated frauds,” DCP (Cyber crimes ), V Aravind Babu.

The cards are also obtained by the agents associated with the betting syndicates through the roadside SIM card agents, who con an individual who comes for a new SIM card or related work and obtains multiple cards on his or her identity.

“The cricket betting or other cyber crime syndicates use the SIM card to activate WhatsApp or Telegram and cheat people,” said the official. The fraudsters create an initial illusion of profit to gain their confidence and later manipulate the betting results and block withdrawals, causing wrongful loss to the victims and wrongful gain to themselves.

Illegally procured SIM cards are central to multiple cyber fraud schemes:

Fraudsters intercept OTPs to hack bank accounts and UPI wallets

Fake SIMs are used to send bulk scam messages promising loans, jobs, or lottery wins

Fraudsters open accounts linked to fake SIMs to move illicit funds

Criminals use fake SIMs to hide their real identity during cyber attacks

SIM cards are exploited for cross-border scams, including fake investment schemes

Government initiative

Sanchar Saathi is a government initiative aimed at addressing the issue of SIM card fraud. It provides a platform for individuals to check whether any SIM cards have been fraudulently registered in their name. The website “https://tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in”.

“Never hand over your SIM cards to anyone, including your relatives or friends. There is every possibility that it would be misused and the negligence will lead to legal consequences to the person on whose name it is obtained,” said Shikha Goel, Director, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau.