Gurugram police have arrested two men accused of supplying SIM cards to a cybercrime network that allegedly cheated a victim of ₹1.64 lakh through a fake gas bill payment scheme. The arrests were made in Bihar’s Banka district on October 16, officials said.
The case came to light after a complaint was filed on October 12. According to police, the victim received a WhatsApp message on October 9 warning that a pending household gas bill could lead to the disconnection of the gas supply. The message directed the recipient to contact other mobile numbers to resolve the issue.
The victim was subsequently sent an Android application package (APK) file named “HCG BILL UPDATE.apk” through WhatsApp. After opening the file, the complainant was directed to a payment page resembling Razorpay and asked to pay ₹12.
However, while attempting the payment using a credit card, the victim noticed suspicious transactions involving their bank account. The incident allegedly resulted in a financial loss of ₹1,64,900.
Investigators identified Nirmal Kumar, also known as Vijay Kumar, and Gopi Kumar Yadav as alleged suppliers of SIM cards used in the operation. Police recovered two mobile phones containing SIM cards linked to the crime.
During interrogation, investigators found that Nirmal had allegedly obtained SIM cards using another person’s identity and supplied them to Yadav for ₹1,000. Yadav then reportedly sold the cards to another individual for ₹1,500.
According to the Gurugram police spokesperson, the accused had allegedly supplied SIM cards for similar fraudulent activities in the past.
Following their arrest, the two men were brought before a Gurugram court on October 18 after transit remand was secured. Police obtained one-day custody for further questioning as the investigation continued.
