Operation Heli: Uttarakhand Police Foils Char Dham Helicopter Scam

As the monsoon forces a halt to the annual Char Dham helicopter yatra in Uttarakhand, a joint operation by the state's Special Task Force (STF) and cybercrime unit has thwarted a massive scam. Frauds, primarily from Bihar and Jharkhand, were posing as helicopter service providers on websites, social media, and mobile numbers, targeting unsuspecting pilgrims. The operation, dubbed "Operation Heli," aimed to shut down these deceitful channels, blocking 142 websites, 117 mobile numbers, and 35 WhatsApp accounts.

Key Takeaways:

• The STF and state cybercrime unit blocked 142 fraudulent websites, 117 mobile numbers, and 35 WhatsApp accounts in a joint operation.
• The blocked websites mimicked the official IRCTC helicopter booking portal, attempting to scam pilgrims who were unable to use the cancelled helicopter services.
• 67 bank accounts linked to the scam were frozen by the authorities.
• Since January, the state police have arrested 28 individuals in cybercrime cases and issued notices to 140 others as part of "Operation Prahar".
• Authorities have saved Rs 10.5 crore by halting UPI transactions, tracing funds in real time, and responding quickly to complaints.

Statistics:

• 142 fraudulent websites were blocked by the authorities.
• 117 mobile numbers and 35 WhatsApp accounts used to scam pilgrims were blocked.
• 67 bank accounts linked to the scam were frozen.
• Rs 10.5 crore were saved by halting UPI transactions, tracing funds in real time, and responding quickly to complaints.
• 28 individuals have been arrested in cybercrime cases since January.
• 140 notices have been issued to individuals as part of "Operation Prahar" since January.
• Authorities have acted against 65 cybercriminals across 17 states.

Sources:

• Times of India

Note: The article does not provide specific dates for when the authorities first began to take action, so the statistics section only includes the information given in the article.