One more suspect in the OTP sharing fraud has been detained by Special Task Force in the state of Odisha. The accused person has been identified as Pritam Singh. According to ANI, four persons were previously detained in connection with the case. “They used to generate OTPs using pre-activated SIM cards and sold the OTPs to cyber criminals including Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) and ISI agents,” Jai Narayan Pankaj, IG, Special Task Force Odisha was quoted as saying by ANI.
Additionally, Pritam also is said to have provided the SIM and debit card used by the primary suspect in the Mangalore auto blast last year. He also has ISI links and has obtained money from them in the OTP fraud case. “It is also learned that the SIM and debit card used by the main accused in last year’s Mangalore auto blast was given by this person (Pritam). He was also in direct touch with at least two Pakistani ISI agents and met them physically and received over Rs 1.5 lakh for selling OTPs/mule accounts/digital wallets,” Pankaj further said.
According to authorities, three people were arrested by the STF of the Odisha police last month for fraudulently obtaining a large number of SIM cards and sharing one-time passwords (OTP) with criminals and anti-national elements, including some Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO) and ISI operatives in Pakistan as well as in India.
As per the reports, during raids, numerous incriminating items were taken from the possession of the accused, including laptops, 19 mobile phones, 47 pre-activated SIM cards, 61 ATM cards, and 23 SIM covers.
These OTPs were then used to set up numerous channels and accounts on social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and online retailer websites like Amazon and Flipkart. Additionally, these are required to open email accounts. People presume that these accounts are Indian-owned when they are actually being operated from Pakistan.
These social media platforms could be utilised for a variety of anti-Indian operations, such as sextortion, communicating with terrorists, radicalisation, spreading anti-Indian propaganda, fostering anti-Indian/divisive emotions on social media, and honey trapping, among others. People further regard such accounts to be trustworthy because they are registered and connected to Indian cell numbers.
Additionally, the profiles created on online marketplaces are used to supply goods to terrorists, anti-Indian groups, etc. Besides, they were making and selling mule accounts on social media sites, which are utilized in a variety of crimes.