Pak lottery fraud: CID charge-sheets 3 conmen

BHOPAL: Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday submitted a charge-sheet against three people for their alleged involvement in a fake lottery racket operated from Pakistan.
Those charge-sheeted were Vishnu Prajapati, a resident of Dawa Bazar, Bhopal, Brijesh Patel, a resident of Satna and Rajeev Patel, also from Satna. They were charged under sections 420, 120 (b) of IPC and 66 (a) and 66 (d) of IT Act.
Their arrests followed investigations into a complaint that mobile phone users were receiving calls from Pakistan informing that they had won a lottery.
CID received several complainants that claimed they were cheated of lakhs of rupees by callers whose phone number started with +92, ISD code of Pakistan. Accused allegedly duped local residents by claiming: ''You are lucky and have won a lottery of Rs 7-8 lakh... deposit processing fee for getting the prize money.''
Many of hundreds of people, who fell into their trap, did not report the matter fearing public humiliation.
A sum of Rs 21.19 lakh in cash, a laptop, six mobiles, 37 debit cards, 25 SIM cards, a currency counter, data cards and pen drives were confiscated during raids at Prajapati's residence. During investigation, CID officials found Vishu Prajapati and Patel had two Pakistani handlers, Javed and Ishaq and were in touch with them through e-mails and phones.
Through agents like Prajapati and Patel, the duo approached innocents convincing them to open saving accounts in banks offering them commission. Once an account is opened, they collected the debit cards from them.
Later, their handlers in Pakistan called up people across the state introducing them as lottery-draw team members. Javed and Ishaq reportedly told victims they had won Rs 25 lakh worth lottery and convince them to pay towards processing fee, custom duty and bank clearances.
Victims were asked to pay nominal amount and provided bank account numbers gathered by Prajapati and Patel where they could deposit the money.
Once money was deposited in the account, accused immediately withdrew it and handed it over to hawala operators, who would pass it on to Pakistani handlers via Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Indian agents get two to three% commission while the rest went to Pakistan.