DAMAN POLICE ARREST 4 ACCUSED INVOLVED IN ONLINE
LOAN APP FRAUD
DAMAN POLICE ARREST 4 ACCUSED INVOLVED IN ONLINE
LOAN APP FRAUD
Sophisticated cyber fraud operation using corporate-level
telecom infrastructure to deceive innocent victims uncovered
Date: 08.07.2025
Case Details:
On 16.06.2025, a complaint was received at Nani Daman Police Station, Daman. The
complainant stated that on 11.05.2025, he applied for a loan of *36,000 through a mobile app
named “ANN Cashmitra”, but only 22,000 was credited to his account. Subsequently, he
received threats via WhatsApp and phone calls demanding EMI payments. Under pressure,
the complainant transferred a total of 53,000 to various UPI accounts. Despite this, the
accused continued to harass and demand money from the victim.
Upon this complaint, a case (FIR No. 42/2025) was registered under Sections 318(4), 316(2),
308(2), 336(3), 340(2), 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The investigation was
taken up by Nani Daman Police Station and Technical & Cyber (TAC) Cell of Daman District
under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Sh. Ketan Bansal IPS.
Investigation Details:
On tracing the origin of calls made to threaten the complainant, phone numbers were found
to be part of a business telecom service, typically used by companies for handling large
volumes of calls. Technical analysis and document verification revealed that the calls used to
threaten the complainant were made using a Vodafone SIP/PRI line. The KYC for this
connection was done in Mumbai on the forged documents of a private ltd company, while the
server was installed at Pi Data Centre in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh.
Based on this, two police teams were formed-one under SHO Nani Daman PS Vishal Patel
was sent to Mumbai (Maharashtra) and another to Andhra Pradesh. Team that went to
Mumbai found no company office at the address at which KYC verification was done by
Vodafone. The office space was only taken on lease for few hours at the time of verification.
The team that went to AP could trace the person from where server was obtained by the
fraudsters. After sustained efforts and coordination between the two teams, two accused were
traced in Mumbai and brought to Daman for examination. During interrogation, they confessed
to fraudulently obtaining SIP Trunk connections from Jio and Vodafone on forged documents
under the guise of marketing call centres and subsequently purchasing servers from third
parties, which were ‘cross-connected’ with SIP Trunks. Installation of ASTERISK on the servers
allowed them to make 10,000s of daily calls from disguised remote locations offering fake
loans and extorting money from people, among other cyber frauds. Further investigation also
MISUSE OF SIP TRUNK TECHNOLOGY BY CYBER FRAUDSTERS
The accused used advanced telecom technology to run their fraudulent operations
in a corporate-style setup. They obtained SIP Trunk connections-which are meant
for legitimate businesses to handle high call volumes-using fake documents.
Servers with open-source software called ASTERISK were installed to enable large-
scale automated calling. This setup allowed them to make TENS OF thousands of
calls daily to victims across the country. To avoid being traced, the calling agents
connected to these servers using VPN (Virtual Private Network) services, which hide
their real locations by masking IP addresses. In some cases, calls were routed
through foreign data centers, making it even more difficult for authorities to track
them. Such misuse of telecom infrastructure and digital anonymity tools represents
a growing challenge in tackling cyber fraud
revealed that calls are being routed through servers installed at data centres at foreign
locations to mask the identity of fraudsters and add another layer of anonymity in the
operations of cyber fraudsters.
Interrogation of the arrested persons disclosed that bill payments for SIP Trunk connection
and server were being made through eMitra centre in Jaipur. Another team was sent to Jaipur
(Rajasthan) where the person operating e-Mitra center was traced. He revealed that he was
transferring received funds to various accounts on the instructions of one “Love Gupta”, and
that the proceeds were used to pay Vodafone and Jio telecom bills and server rentals.
CULPABILITY OF VODAFONE EMPLOYEE
During the course of investigation, it was found that the telecom infrastructure used to commit
the crime was acquired through forged documentation. A SIP Trunking connection with
substantial calling capacity (500 simultaneous sessions and 1500 DID (Direct Inward Dialing)
numbers) had been obtained in the name of a company on forged documents, without proper
verification. Investigation revealed serious lapses in the verification and installation process
on the part of TSP, in contravention of the conditions laid down under the Unified License
Agreement and guidelines of Department of Telecommunications. During examination of
Vodafone employee Abhijit Dey who introduced the fraudsters for the SIP trunk connection
and who was continuously in touch with them, his connivance in the crime was established
and was arrested. Role of other officials is being examined.
Details of the Accused:
- Love Awadh Kishore Gupta (Age 30, Resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra) – Main
accused. He managed the entire network, handled KYC and documentation in fake
company names, made telecom bill payments, and arranged office space for fake call
centers. He was operating under the name ‘Tushar - Siddhesh Salve (Age 25, Resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra)- Proprietor and authorised
signatory of the company on forged documents. The company was registered in his
name to give legal appearance to the telecom connections. His name appeared in the
documents
Pu - Vikash Ajaykumar Sharma (Age 25, Resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan)- Associate accused.
He managed payments for servers and telecom bills, using the defrauded funds as per
Love Gupta’s instructions. - Abhijit Dey (Age approx. 28, Resident of Pune, Maharashtra) – Vodafone employee.
He approved the fake KYC and installation process, failed to verify properly, and
facilitated issuance of the SIP/PRI connection to the company on forged documents.
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[09/07, 20:11] Manilal Par: Seized Items:
- 4 Mobile phones
•
1 Laptop
⚫ 1 Server, SIP/PRI telecom set up including MUX, cables from data centre at Andhra
Pradesh have been got preserved and seizure is in progress
15 bank accounts and amount Rs 23,000/- frozen
Police Appeal:
Daman Police urges citizens not to take loans from fake or unauthorized loan applications. If
you receive any threats or suspicious calls, immediately contact the National Cyber Crime
Helpline at 1930 or file a report at your nearest police station.
Author: admin
Chief Editor: Manilal B.Par Hindustan Lokshakti ka parcha RNI No.DD/Mul/2001/5253 O : G 6, Maruti Apartment Tin Batti Nani Daman 396210 Mobile 6351250966/9725143877
