Two who got credit cards on forged Aadhar held for Rs 3 cr fraud

Two men were arrested here Sunday for alleged frauds worth at least Rs 3 crore in online and store shopping through credit cards that were obtained using forged Aadhaar cards, police said.

As many as 29 credit cards of various banks, including five American Express ones, six ATM cards of different banks, 10 fake Aadhaar cards and seven PAN cards were seized from the duo's possession, the police said.

A hatchback car and Rs 20,000 in cash were also seized from the accused, they added.

The arrested duo has been identified as Sandeep Kumar and Sandeep Beniwal, both B Tech graduates in their mid-20s, Superintendent of Police (Noida City) Sudha Singh said.

She said a complaint was made at the Sector-20 police station by the American Express bank after its financial fraud cell took cognizance of such cases recently. A probe was taken up and the major fraud, in which some more people are suspected to be linked, was unearthed, Singh said.

"The duo used their photographs along with forged identifications and fake documents to get the Aadhaar cards made which were then used to get the credit cards made. The accused would lavishly use the credit cards for shopping and primarily bought gold which they would then sell off to get cash money, she told reporters.

"At this level, it has emerged that the fraud committed by the two could be between Rs 3 crore and Rs 5 crore. It is yet to be ascertained how much of that has been done through online shopping and how much through cards at stores," Singh said.

The SP said besides Kumar and Beniwal, one more man who would get the mortgaged assets is yet to be nabbed, while more people could be linked to the fraud.

"More details will be unearthed on basis of further investigation in the case," she said.

A case has been registered against them at the Sector-20 police station and they have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (fraud), 467 (forgery) and related offences, the officials said.