News
Re-load racket
View(s):Two prisoners on death row were caught operating a racket in re-loading money for mobile phones from their cells, using relatives as
'Tax': Police display money recovered from the re-loading money racket
their agents. Police have arrested the sister of one prisoner and another described as the mistress of the other.
Be aware of fraud: SSP Karawita says people should always double check before sending any money over the phone
Unsuspecting mobile phone users were given calls by friends and relatives of the two criminals, informing them that they have been selected as winners of a large sum of money, but needed to transfer the ‘tax’ in order to receive the prize.
The mobile phone users were then instructed to make use of a system where they could transfer the ‘tax’ money to another mobile phone.
However, after transferring the money, the victims found that the mobile phone had
Scheme: Unsuspecting mobile phone users were told they had won large sums of money, only to find the phone switched off after paying a ‘tax’ in order to collect their winnings
been switched off.
In one case a woman was informed that she had won Rs. five million but she first had to deposit Rs. 475,000.
Inquires carried out by the police found that the SIM cards used for these calls were all purchased illegally against photo copies of identity cards collected from communication centres.
The SIM cards were obtained after those operating communication centres sold partly-blurred photo copies
Recovered: One victim was told to pay Rs. 475,000 to collect a Rs. five million prize
of their customers’National Identity cards. Saying that the first copy was not sharp, the communication centre employees would provide the customer with a second ‘better’ copy and retain the first one.
The first copies were then sold to the relatives of the two prisoners.
‘At some of the communication centres the photo operator discards copies of the ID cards saying they are either dark or not too clear.The copies are later used to purchase SIM cards,’ said Kumara Nalawansa, OIC of the Anti-vice squad of the Moratuwa police.
He said that two female suspects have been arrested and the money recovered.
Mt Lavinia division SSP Ravindra Karawita said that people need to be aware of such fraudsters and should always double check when they receive such calls.
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| Agents: The two women arrested for carrying out the racket on behalf of the prisoners | |
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| Stolen: Communication centre employees sold partly-blurred photo copies of their customers’ National Identity cards to the relatives of the two prisoners. These were then used to purchase SIM cards | |