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Through the blessings of our revered spiritual leader, individuals across various countries have attained immense wealth through lottery winnings, resolved marital discord, achieved control over others, and conquered life's challenges. Call now to avail the guidance of the Tantric Guru. Obtain solutions for only 250 taka.’
Such advertisements inundate social media platforms and adorn the walls of public transport and various buildings in the capital, even making appearances on television. However, falling for the allure of these ads could lead you into a trap, as they are nothing but fraudulent schemes.
This deceitful gang has been preying on unsuspecting individuals for an extended period, enticing them with flashy promises. They stoop so low as to falsely claim their Tantric guru as the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque, exploiting religious sentiments for their own gain. Shockingly, 90 percent of these fraudsters hail from different areas of Bhola.
The mastermind behind this scam, has swindled billions of taka from innocent people through deception. Their fraudulent activities typically begin with small sums like 250 taka but escalate to exorbitant amounts reaching lakhs.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has made a significant breakthrough in the fight against fraud by apprehending 15 individuals involved in a scam operation. CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali disclosed this information during a press conference held at the Malibagh office of CID on Monday afternoon.
Mohammad Ali emphasised that these fraudsters have been exploiting the vulnerabilities of ordinary citizens through deceptive advertising tactics. They spread their schemes via social media platforms and even television commercials, luring unsuspecting victims with false promises. Upon calling the provided contact numbers in the advertisements, individuals were duped with cunning persuasion tactics.
The CID chief highlighted that the crackdown on such fraudulent activities is ongoing.
He urged the public to refrain from engaging with such advertisements and emphasised that if anyone falls victim to fraud, they should immediately alert the authorities.
In response to a query, he revealed that the residences of these fraudsters are predominantly located in the Bhola area. He further stated that multiple teams are actively engaged in the ongoing effort to apprehend these criminals.
According to CID sources, a female victim of fraud, grappling with family issues, found herself seeking a solution. In this vulnerable state, she stumbled upon an advertisement on Facebook that piqued her interest. The ad featured a charismatic individual, adorned in dervish attire, presenting himself as the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Saudi Arabia. He claimed to provide solutions to people's problems based on Quranic teachings and hadiths.
Another female doctor, captivated by the advertisement, decided to reach out to the mobile number provided. On the other end, she encountered the alleged dervish father, who requested to hear about her family problems. Trusting his seemingly compassionate demeanor, she confided in him about her family's struggles.
Upon hearing her plight, the dervish assured her, "Mother, all your problems will be solved. Trust in me." He addressed her with endearing terms and claimed her as his daughter from that moment onwards. However, he cryptically mentioned that resolving her issues would come at a cost, cautioning her against disclosing this to anyone else. He warned that divulging the details could exacerbate her problems and potentially harm her loved ones.
Enamored by the deceptive charm of the hypocritical dervish's words, the female doctor became ensnared in his web of deceit.
Since their initial encounter, the fraudulent dervish manipulated the female doctor at various stages, exploiting her vulnerabilities with promises of miraculous solutions and instilling fear. Through this deceitful approach, he managed to swindle a total of 25 lakh taka from her.
Subsequently, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took action, leading to the arrest of an individual named Ashiqur Rahman from Magura district. The arrest was made based on information obtained from mobile financial service (MFS) records.
According to information obtained from CID sources during interrogation, it has been confirmed that the fraudulent activities are orchestrated by an organised gang. Their modus operandi involves operating through various technical support channels, utilising anonymously registered SIM cards, and advertising their scams on Facebook.
Following leads provided by Ashiqur Rahman, CID conducted further investigations, resulting in the arrest of 18 suspects from Keraniganj in Dhaka. These individuals were identified as members of the alleged dervish's network.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that their involvement in fraudulent activities dates back to 2020-21. Initially, they advertised their schemes in magazines and on television channels. However, as their operations expanded, they began promoting their scams in newspapers, on various channels, YouTube, and social media platforms.
Their strategy involved luring unsuspecting victims by exploiting their fears and offering tantalising promises of solutions to their problems. When targeted individuals contacted the provided mobile number, the gang would deceive them into transferring money through mobile financial services (MFS) under the guise of resolving their issues.
According to CID officials, individuals are enticed by flashy and attention-grabbing advertisements across mass media and social platforms. These ads promise lottery winnings, life-altering fortunes, debt resolution, victorious lawsuits, and solutions to familial issues. They claim to possess spiritual and tantric abilities that can foresee and safeguard against impending danger.
However, once individuals make contact via the provided mobile number, the fraudulent activities commence, ultimately leading to financial exploitation.
CID officials have taken legal action against those arrested in connection with these scams, underscoring the importance of prosecuting such criminal behavior to safeguard the public from further exploitation.
Messenger/Fameema
