The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 27 alleged members of the Oad gang during a major crackdown on organized financial cyber fraud in Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad, exposing scams involving millions of rupees on Friday.
27 Oad gang members held for financial cyber fraud
LAHORE, Jul 31 (APP):The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 27 alleged members of the Oad gang during a major crackdown on organized financial cyber fraud in Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad, exposing scams involving millions of rupees on Friday.
According to the spokesperson, the suspects allegedly posed as bank officials, customs and police personnel, representatives of charitable organizations, TCS riders and investment company employees to deceive citizens into sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), banking credentials and other sensitive information before fraudulently transferring funds from their accounts.
In Lahore, the NCCIA arrested 13 suspects during two separate operations. The arrested suspects included Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Danish, Nabeel Akhtar, Badrur Rehman, Muhammad Adnan, Nadeem Abbas, Allah Rakha, Muhammad Atif and Muhammad Waseem, among others. Authorities recovered 13 mobile phones, 25 active SIM cards allegedly used in the fraud and other digital evidence from their possession.
In Multan, 13 suspects were arrested in four separate raids. They included Muhammad Asim Baloch, Muhammad Usman, Khalid Baloch, Abdul Ghaffar, Muhammad Jibran Oad, Muhammad Shan Oad, Muhammad Waqas Oad, Muhammad Ilyas Oad, Muhammad Iqbal Oad, Muhammad Shafiq Oad, Muhammad Yousaf Oad, Muhammad Naeem Oad and other.
Initial investigations revealed that the Oad gang allegedly operated fake investment websites and fraudulent WhatsApp and social media accounts to lure citizens into investing money before defrauding them of large sums.
In Faisalabad, the NCCIA arrested one suspect, identified as Nasir Ali, who was allegedly involved with accomplices in hacking bank accounts and transferring stolen funds into fraudulent JazzCash and Easypaisa accounts. One Android mobile phone, six keypad phones and 23 active SIM cards were recovered from his possession.
The spokesperson said investigations into the network were underway and reaffirmed that indiscriminate action against organized financial cyber fraud groups, including the Oad gang, would continue.
The NCCIA also advised the public not to share one-time passwords (OTPs), banking information or personal data with any unauthorized person to avoid falling victim to cyber fraud.
