Dehradun, June 5 -- As thousands of pilgrims scramble for helicopter tickets during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, cyber fraudsters have been exploiting the rush through fake booking offers, prompting the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) to intensify its crackdown on online frauds. The STF on Saturday said it arrested two alleged members of an organised cyber fraud syndicate from Bihar that was cheating pilgrims in the name of helicopter bookings for the Char Dham Yatra. The arrests were made from Nalanda district after a week-long operation based on technical evidence, banking trails and mobile data analysis. The accused were identified as Deepak Kumar of Sherpur in Bihar Sharif and Vijit Kumar alias Micky of Sheikhpura district. Both were in their 20s. According to STF officials, the duo used fake Facebook and Instagram pages, WhatsApp numbers and bank accounts to lure pilgrims seeking helicopter tickets. Senior superitendent of police (STF) Ajai Singh said arrests were made during the investigation of a case registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Dehradun, under Sections 318(4), 61(2) and 36(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act. The case was lodged after a complainant was allegedly cheated through a fake helicopter booking. "During the probe, we recovered forged helicopter tickets provided by the accused to the complainant. Based on the recovery, additional sections related to forgery and use of forged documents were added to the case," he said. Officials said the fraudsters posed as authorised helicopter service providers and agents, operating fake social media pages, websites and WhatsApp numbers. NK Bhatt, a police official privy to the investigation, said, "These gangs exploit on the shortage of tickets and lure people to provide them the tickets at the same rates. Even educated people are falling prey to such frauds." "Pilgrims were targeted through social media and messaging platforms and lured with promises of VIP darshan, instant ticket confirmation and limited-seat availability," the SSP said. "Our investigation revealed that the gang used multiple bank accounts opened in the names of different individuals as mule accounts. The cheated money was transferred into these accounts and later withdrawn through ATM cards. The gang members shared commissions ranging from 15% to 25% from the proceeds of the fraud." According to the STF, several bank accounts linked to the arrested accused were found to be associated with complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), indicating their possible involvement in cyber fraud cases across the country. Investigators also recovered WhatsApp chats containing evidence of the exchange of bank accounts, ATM cards and QR codes among gang members. The probe further revealed a wider interstate network, officials said. "Another cyber fraudster, Shiv Kumar Paswan alias Phultoon of Nalanda district, who is currently under arrest in a cyber fraud case registered in Bihar, was found to have links with similar frauds. Evidence collected during the investigation suggested his involvement in cheating pilgrims seeking helicopter bookings in Uttarakhand as well. Legal proceedings are underway to secure his custody through a production warrant," said Bhatt. The STF said its investigation benefited from inputs shared by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union home ministry and coordination with the Cyber Crime Police Station in Nalanda. Officials also expressed concern over the possible involvement of minors in cyber fraud networks. "During field enquiries in Bihar, our personnel questioned several juveniles and obtained information related to the helicopter booking fraud racket. Preliminary findings suggest some minors may have been recruited or used by cyber criminals in fraudulent activities. The role of such juveniles is being examined," Bhatt said Investigators also found that cyber criminals sometimes used internet connections and mobile hotspots belonging to unsuspecting individuals while carrying out frauds, making detection more difficult. The STF said the gang's network appeared to be operating across multiple states and efforts were underway to identify and arrest other accused. "During the operation, police seized five bank passbooks, a cheque book, two mobile phones containing digital evidence, an ATM card, SIM-related material, an Aadhaar card, a PAN card and other digital evidence," Bhatt said. Officials said the STF's Anti-Heli Fraud Cell, set up specifically to tackle cyber fraud during the Char Dham Yatra, has so far facilitated the blocking of around 300 fake social media links and more than 100 suspicious numbers....