Mumbai, March 28 (NationPress) – On Saturday, the Mumbai Police apprehended an individual accused of defrauding a judge of the Bombay High Court through cyber deception. Following a complaint from the victim, a 25-year-old man from Jamtara, Jharkhand, was arrested for allegedly establishing fraudulent customer service numbers and unlawfully extracting money via a phishing application.

As per the police reports, this arrest is associated with a scam totaling around Rs 6.02 lakh, executed through a meticulously planned credit card reward points scheme. The suspect has been identified as Mazhar Alam Israil Miyan, a resident of Jamtara. He was taken into custody by the Cuffe Parade Police, with support from the Jamtara Cyber Cell and the Karmatand Police.

Investigators disclosed that Miyan may be linked to at least 36 cases documented across 10 states, suggesting a broader cybercrime syndicate.

The incident occurred on February 28, when the judge attempted to reach out to his bank’s customer service to redeem his credit card reward points. Faced with difficulties connecting via official means, he searched online and inadvertently called a fraudulent helpline number set up by scammers.

Authorities noted that in such scams, cybercriminals frequently send APK files to their victims. In this case, the judge received a WhatsApp link prompting him to download an 18 MB application. When it failed to operate on his iPhone, the fraudsters, masquerading as customer care agents, suggested he use an Android device instead.

Following their instructions, he transferred his SIM card to his domestic aide’s Android phone and downloaded the application. Once he entered his credit card information, nearly Rs 6 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn.

Upon realizing the scam, the judge quickly reported the incident to the Mumbai Police. After nearly 10 days of thorough investigation, the suspect was ultimately arrested.

Cyber fraud encompasses deceptive digital practices—like phishing, ransomware, and identity theft—aimed at stealing money or confidential data.

The prevalence of cyber fraud is escalating. From spear-phishing and ransomware to CEO email fraud and business email compromise, the most treacherous cyber fraud attacks typically initiate with an email. Such email scams often succeed because they target the weakest point: individuals. Despite extensive efforts and technology designed to thwart scam emails, it only takes a single user’s lapse in vigilance to enable a cyber fraud incident.