Eight men accused of cheating shopkeepers by using fake versions of the PayTM and Google Pay applications on mobile phones have been arrested by the Hyderabad police on Wednesday.
Based on on four cases filed in different police stations in the South Zone of the city, these men were all apprehended.
PayTM Spoof App:-
The modus operandi of these accused, according to the Hyderabad police, was to pay money through an app called as ‘PayTM spoof’. What they did after entering a store was to shop, and once their shopping was done and bill was produced, pretended to make the payment through this app. No amount would be deducted, however, the app would show that the payment was done. Much to their dismay, this deceit was found out by some of the shopkeepers and they alleged that they had been cheated and that no payment was completed.
It was through the Youtube videos that these accused learned how to use the fake app and downloaded the app through the Google Play Store, said Police.
The Accused & Details Of Fraud:-
Mohd Mustafa Hussain Muzakir, Syed Aamir Hassan, Syed Iliyas, Syed Wajeed Ali, Hafeez Rana, Mohd Salman, Mohd Abdul Shahed and Mohd Yousuf are the names of accused people named in the First information report(FIR). They have been booked under sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly), 379 (Punishment for theft) and 380 (Theft in dwelling house) of the Indian Penal code.
On the basis of complaints received, these accused have been booked for cheating shopkeepers of clothes worth Rs 28,000, sports goods worth Rs 8500, grocery items worth Rs 10,700 and a gold ring worth Rs 28,0000
Hyderabad Police said that while some of the apps have been deleted by Google from the Play Store, some are still available. Both, the public and the shopkeepers have been requested to stay alert about such fake apps. Also, they have been requested by the Hyderabad Police to report any such instances immediately to the concerned police authorities.