FIA busts woman-led gang involved in money transferring from accounts

Rawalpindi: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Rawalpindi Zone, has busted a gang led by a woman, involved in transferring heavy amounts from the accounts of clients of different banks by deceitfully getting secrets of accounts, posing themselves as staff members of the banks, spokesman of the FIA said on Saturday.

The FIA has arrested the woman after lodging first information report (FIA) and initiated investigation, while, the other members of the swindler’s gang are being hunted down by conducting raids on their hideouts. Following an extensive investigation, the FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Rawalpindi, unearthed a shocking cybercrime offense, the spokesman said and added that the probe revealed that the accused individuals, identified as Muhammad Aamir Shehzad, Nasir Ali, Ambreen Anwar, and Muhammad Waseem, orchestrated a series of fraudulent transactions totalling Rs1.88 million from different accounts.

The modus operandi employed by the accused involved deceiving the complainant by spoofing information about her bank account under the guise of account verification. Once they obtained the account details fraudulently, the accused swiftly executed unauthorised transfers to various accounts. A staggering sum of Rs499,000 was transferred to a bank account under Nasir Ali's name, while another Rs499,000 was directed to a different bank account under Muhammad Aamir Shehzad's name. Additionally, Rs380,000 was siphoned off to a bank account under Ambreen Anwar's name, and Rs39,000 was diverted to another HBL account under the name of Faiqa Qureshi, ultimately traced back to Muhammad Waseem.

The investigation yielded compelling evidence linking the accused to the commission of the offense, prompting the authorities to initiate legal action. Prima facie, charges under Sections 3, 4, 5, and 14 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, in conjunction with Sections 419, 420, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, have been established against the accused individuals. The accused persons, hailing from various locations including Sahiwal, Kasur, Rawalpindi, and Sargodha, have had FIRs registered against them with competent authorities granting permission for further legal proceedings. Additionally, the role of accomplices, including Kamrari Hayat and users of specific mobile numbers, is under scrutiny as part of ongoing investigations.

As the case unfolds, authorities remain vigilant in ensuring that justice is served and that perpetrators of cybercrimes are held accountable for their actions. The investigation report and FIR have been disseminated to relevant authorizes for further action, marking a crucial step in combating cyber fraud and protecting innocent victims from financial exploitation, the spokesman of the FIA said.