Kashmir 'Curative Survey' investment scam: Cyber Police arrests Tamil Nadu resident

In the sensational suspected multi-crore investment scam involving the fraudulent self-styled company 'Curative Survey', Cyber Police Kashmir said it has made the initial breakthrough by arresting a Tamil Nadu resident in the case. The scam came to light on last month when a group of investors held a protest in Srinagar accusing the company of cheating them under the guise of promising significant returns on meager investments, reports ETV Bharat's Muhammad Zulqarnain Zulfi.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): In a significant breakthrough in the suspected multi-crore 'Curative Survey' scam, the Kashmir Cyber Police has arrested a Tamil Nadu resident in the case, sources have said. The massive investment scam orchestrated by the fraudulent company 'Curative Survey Private Limited' surfaced in Kashmir when a group of investors held a protest in Srinagar recently.

The company, operating under the guise of promising significant returns on investments, scammed and cheated unsuspecting individuals, leading to chaos, anguish, and protests. A police spokesman said that following the statements of victims, technical and digital evidence, the SIT of the police set up to probe the matter identified six accused persons, all residents outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Efforts are underway to arrest the identified individuals, with one accused person (name not revealed yet) already apprehended from Tamil Nadu. The extent of financial loss to victims is being assessed through the collection of evidence and witness statements. The company's account numbers have been debit-frozen, and further investigation is ongoing to determine the involvement of employees and local contacts of the main accused persons,” the police spokesman said.

He said that the investigation also extends to social media influencers who promoted the company, after the Cyber Police Station in Kashmir Zone-Srinagar receiving 27 complaints in this regard. Police have urged the general public to come forward with any additional complaints related to the fraudulent company. Pertinently, on December 19, 2023, the Cyber Police Station in Kashmir Zone-Srinagar registered a case (FIR No. 39/2023) under Section 66D of the IT Act and Section 420 of the IPC.

The police, recognizing the gravity of the situation, formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. The investigation revealed that the company had opened six offices in the Kashmir Valley and one regional office in Jammu in January–February 2023. All seven offices were subsequently searched, sealed, and incriminating evidence seized. The evidence was sent to the FSL for analysis, and numerous employees from across Jammu and Kashmir were identified, examined, and their statements recorded.

Victims Speak Out: Unemployment and Desperation Exploited

In the dimly lit room of her modest home, Mehreen (name changed) shared her harrowing experience as a victim of the online job scam. Desperately seeking a source of income, Mehreen fell for an enticing Facebook post promising a lucrative work-from-home opportunity. The promise of a straightforward data entry job and payment based on hours worked felt like a lifeline to her.

Despite initial apprehension, Mehreen provided personal details for registration, only to realize later that the promising job was nothing but a sophisticated scam. Nearly Rs 60,000 vanished from her bank account, leaving her jobless and financially devastated. Mehreen's story is just one among many victims who have fallen prey to remote work scams.

Another victim, wishing to remain anonymous, recounted being offered a well-paid data entry task. After paying registration fees, she discovered that the job was fake, and the material sent to her was riddled with errors. She expressed gratitude that the registration fee wasn't substantial, highlighting the potential scale of the scam.

Job seekers in the region attribute the vulnerability to rising unemployment, with limited job opportunities driving many to seek alternatives online. The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir reached 23.1 per cent by March 2023, making individuals susceptible to job scamming.

Scammers' Tactics and Authorities' Challenges

Sheikh Asif, a Srinagar-based IT specialist, shed light on the tactics employed by scammers. Asif said that companies often invite victims to like and follow social media profiles, sending daily payments to create an illusion of a genuine enterprise. “Victims are then added to Telegram groups where scammers establish sophisticated crypto trading platforms, urging individuals to invest and perform tasks to multiply their funds,” he said.

Asif said scammers take advantage of privacy features on platforms like Telegram, making it challenging for law enforcement to trace their identities. The cyber wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered numerous cases of online frauds, emphasizing the commonality of bank scams to obtain victims' financial and personal data.

Law enforcement agencies face challenges in predicting and preventing such scams, with scammers regularly deleting chats and account information to cover their tracks. The police are actively investigating cases related to online employment fraud in Kashmir, recognizing the need for public vigilance.

Various recruitment firms are now actively educating the public about the signs of job scams on social media and emphasizing that legitimate firms do not ask for money for job opportunities. As the investigation into the online job fraud ring continues, authorities are determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent further victimization.