Digital deceiving rising, many people become victims
Syed Shemul Parvez :
People are being deceived in many ways using the digital platforms daily.
Sources said, trying to change their fortunes in a short time, thousands of common people handed over their billions of money to the fraudsters after being caught.
A scam in the name of easy online loans through an app called ‘Rapid Cash’. Through this, the cycle has grabbed the personal information of nearly half a million customers. Later, money was extorted from the customers by threatening to leak their personal information. The ringleaders are two Chinese nationals.
Nowadays fraud in online shopping is also very common. Fraudsters are deceiving customers by opening fake websites and facebook pages.
On Tuesday, the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) has arrested 26 members including the masterminds and agents of the fraud ring who commit crimes using the ‘Rapid Cash’ app.
In this regard, ATU Superintendent of Police Mohammad Aslam Khan told The New Nation that they were arrested from different areas of the capital in separate operations on Tuesday (May 16) night.
Aslam Khan said, Rapid Cash is an Android application. As soon as this app is downloaded on the Android mobile, the mobile takes full access (including the entire user’s contact numbers, gallery information, pictures, videos and other important information).
He said, the registration of the app has to be completed through any mobile SIM that can be used in Bangladesh.
As soon as the registration is completed, Rapid Cash provides the user with a small loan of Tk five hundred to one thousand and charges interest at the rate of around Tk one hundred on that money from that day. Rapid Cash provides a call on WhatsApp through their hotline number (01956728776) to pay off the loan or at least pay the interest within a few days of disbursement.
ATU officials said, if a customer refuses to pay this high rate of interest, Rapid Cash starts cheating or blackmailing him in various ways. This includes public disclosure of sensitive and confidential user information. When the user agrees to pay the loan and interest money considering his social status, three cash agent numbers are given from Rapid Cash (01745757957, 01969276239 and 01861572727).
He said that ATU had continued its own monitoring on this matter for quite some time. ATU received several complaints in this regard through ATU’s ‘Inform ATU’ app.
In addition to this a victim named Abul Ehsan (41), son of one Abdul Aziz Miah from Upshahar area of Boalia Thana of Rajshahi, lodged a complaint regarding Rapid Cash Fraud with the Boalia Police Station.
He said, on the basis of these, a raid team of ATU conducted a special operation from 5 pm on Monday (May 15) and arrested 26 members including Mahir, the mastermind of the fraud ring and agents using the Rapid Cash app.
