https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Jamtara: Tightening Screws But Menace Continues 

Indian Masterminds Stories

Known as the ‘phishing capital of India’, the Jamtara district of Jharkhand is infamous for organised cyber crime. For several years now, cyber crimes all across the country are being traced back to Jamtara, on investigation. 

Due to the lack of job opportunities, more and more youngsters are getting involved in these crimes which are conducted in such an organized manner that it is giving a hard time to the police. No doubt they have been able to nab many offenders and bust many gangs, yet, there is a lot more to do. 

In just 3-4 months of his posting as ASP, Jamtara (Probation), IPS officer Rakesh Singh has arrested more than 80 members involved in cyber crimes and has also blocked more than 3500 Fake SIM cards suo-moto to stop cyber fraud. He believes that police have their own limitations, and to tackle such a nexus, more work force and logistics are required. In conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 2021-batch IPS officer shared the modus operandi of such offenders, and how the department deals with them. 

THE CHASE 

It has become a cat and mouse chase between the police and the offenders in Jamtara. Police rely on their spies and digital intelligence for raids. In a recent raid, police nabbed two accused, and based on their information, arrested 10 more people, including a local influential person. They also seized approximately 17 lakhs in cash. And, this is not a one-of-its-kind incident. The Jamtara Police conduct such raids on their own without any complaints, too.

Jamatar police recently busted a cyber crime gang and arrested more than a dozen accused

Mr. Singh said, “People has a misconception that the police and the offenders are allies. We often take action on our own and have been successful, too. Every day, the digital dump of local mobile towers are analysed and we take action if anything suspicious is found. For example, if any outside number is active in the area and suspicious activity like 100-200 calls are noticed, we take action.” 

Jamtara Police are getting success, but they have their limitations. One of these is that most victims are not from Jharkhand but other states. But, still, Jamtara Police help with the investigations. Mr. Singh said, “We need more work force, logistics, and training, to tackle such crimes. Under the IT act, the punishment is very mild. The offenders treat it like a holiday. The punishment should be hard for the regular offenders.”

MODUS OPERANDI 

The crimes are not limited to phishing or OTP sharing only. In their latest model, they don’t even ask for an ‘OTP’. Nowadays, the most prevalent one is extortion where the victim will get a blank call and the screen will be black. In a few days, they will make a video from that call showing the victim talking with someone in a compromised (dressed inappropriately) manner. Then the blackmailing will start. 

In another model, the victim gets a call and is informed about electricity bill dues or the impending closure of a bank account. Then misusing the panic state of the victim, the offenders send him or her a link to pay. 

The other most common model is fake google advertisement. Sharing such a case, the officer said, “A victim was trying to book a session in Patanjali Yoga pith. He saw an advertisement page which led him to a fake website, through which, he did a booking. The website was masked in such a way that it was difficult for a layman to differentiate. They even provided a fake GST number and bill, too.” 

ORGANISED VERTICALS 

The biggest problem in cracking down on the phishing business in Jamtara is its geographical location and the organized verticals. It has dense forest areas and terrain, so it becomes difficult to confirm the location of the crime fast, reach there on time, and then chase the offenders. There are many areas where not even a bike can go, and in the run and chase, sometimes they slip away. 

Besides this, phishing has become an organized business in Jamtara. Those involved work in groups and under separate verticals. If one group is in charge of arranging and delivering the fake sim cards, then another group is a technical team. They create the fake IDs, websites, and apps, too. Then there is the calling group which make calls to unsuspecting targets. Another team is responsible for getting the money, transferring it through various accounts, and converting it into white. 

“It is very difficult to track the money. In some cases, the money will be received in an account in Delhi or Noida and will be delivered in cash in Jamtara. All of them have their fixed commission on the money,” said the officer. 

NO ONE IS SAFE 

Both the central and the state government are focusing on such crimes and have taken many initiatives to make people aware. There are centralized training programmes and such cases are centrally coordinated. The government is pushing the awareness campaigns through various channels, including social media. 

Mr. Singh said that people are made aware about the latest modus operandi through videos and other social media campaigns. Yet, such crimes are happening every now and then. He also said that even conscious citizens like police and army officials, and judges, who are supposed to tackle these crimes, are getting duped.

“There are only two major reasons why someone becomes a victim of such crimes. First is greed, and second is the unwillingness to take the pain to go out and get work done. We want everything to be done on phone, and the offenders take advantage of that. If you get a call about your bank account getting closed, then instead of panicking, just visit your branch. Also, before going to any website, first check if it is sponsored or whether the ‘URL’ looks suspicious,” he advised. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
thdc_india_contributes_
THDC India Donates Rs 1 Crore to Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Showcasing Commitment to Social Welfare
IFCI-Ltd
IFCI Limited Receives ROC Approval for Three-Month AGM Extension; Meeting Rescheduled to October 29, 2025
GAIL PSU
GAIL Launches Free CNG Scheme in East Singhbhum to Boost Clean Transportation and Green Mobility
Banking Laws Amendment Act 2025
Depositors Get More Control: New Rules under Banking Laws Amendment Act 2025 to Allow Up to 4 Nominations from 1 Nov 2025
NLC-INDIA-resized-neyvili
NLC India Limited Earns Independent “CRISIL ESG 49” Rating, Highlighting Strong Commitment to Sustainability
MECL__54th_Foundation_Day
MECL Celebrates 54th Foundation Day with Heartfelt Tribute and Guard of Honour to CMD Indra Dev Narayan
NMDC Steel Ltd
NMDC Revises Iron Ore Prices Effective October 22, 2025, Impacting Steel and Infrastructure Sectors
NCL_Special_Safety_Review_Workshop
NCL Hosts Special Safety Review Workshop to Strengthen Mine Safety Through Digitization and Technology
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
thdc_india_contributes_
THDC India Donates Rs 1 Crore to Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Showcasing Commitment to Social Welfare
IFCI-Ltd
IFCI Limited Receives ROC Approval for Three-Month AGM Extension; Meeting Rescheduled to October 29, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT