Hyderabad / Mumbai, Namasthe Yellampally: The Cyberabad Cyber Crime sleuths arrested a notorious cyber fraudster who is involved in multiple cases and duped so many innocents. The offence is about conducting ramp shows in the famous malls on the pretext of selecting the children for modelling and thereby providing chance to act in famous ads and to act with famous film stars and cricketers by canvassing on the website http://www.cosmopolitanmodels.co.in. The accused then managed to convince the parents of the children who participated in the ramp show to deposit money into multiple accounts on the pretext of make-up charges, refundable deposit for costumes and other accessories, etc.
Details of the accused
A1. Apurva Ashwin Dawda @ Armaan Arjun Kapoor @ Dr. Amit, S/o Ashwin D @ Arjun Kapoor, Age: 47 Years, N/o Bavdhan Survey No-7/8, Ram Nagar Colony, Pashan Pune, Maharashtra-411021. A2. Natasha Kapoor @ Nazish Memon @ Meghana, D/o Iqbal Memon, Age: 26 Yrs, Occ: House Wife, N/o Room No. 20, Laxmi Bldg. 3rd Floor, 72/74, L. J. Road, Above Amin Doctor, Mahim West, Mahim HO, Mumbai, Maharashtra-400016.
Brief facts of the case
The brief facts of the case are that on 04-01-2023, received a complaint from Gopalakrishnan Krishnanand, R/o Madinaguda stating that he visited Sarath Capital Mall at Kondapur with his family on the afternoon of December 11th, 2022 to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Cosmopolitan Models agency (website:www.cosmopolitanmodels.co.in) was conducting ramp show at the Upper Ground level of the mall to select children models. On that they asked the complainant if they are interested, took mobile number and shared a coupon code on WhatsApp. Then they asked to share a picture of his daughter and also asked the girl to do a ramp walk to take pictures. They claim on their website that they have been visiting many Indian cities and to select 20 child models to appear in various advertisement engagements, fashion shows, etc… Later he received a WhatsApp message from one Meghana (Mobile: 7297083308) that they are conducting final audition in the same place on Saturday Dec 17th, 2022 in various time slots. They asked the children to come dressed in red. On Dec 17th, 2022, the complainant’s daughter walked the ramp and on the same night they got a WhatsApp message that his daughter got selected for modelling and the parents have to select a package. Whenever they call, first Meghana speaks then asks them to wait for their head Dr. Amit’s call. There is no information about Mr. Amit, he is only available on WhatsApp and asks to make only online deposits into the bank accounts given by him.
Amit spoke to them on December 20th, 2022 informing that their daughter got selected for Oreo biscuit national Ad to work with Rashmika Mandanna and asked him to deposit Rs. 3,25,000/- towards refundable deposit for costumes that will be provided by the famous designer Ritu Kumar. Later, they made the complainant believe that they are going to conduct a 6 day photo shoot and got a total amount of Rs. 14,12,000/- deposited into various bank accounts and finally cheated him on the pretext of selecting his daughter for modelling by giving fake advertisements with fake websites and lured huge amount. As such, he requested to take legal action. Basing on the above complaint, a case was registered in Cyber Crime Police Station, Cyberabad and investigated into. With the technical clues, CCPS Police apprehended the accused in Hyderabad.
Background of the accused
A1 hails from Mumbai city. He finished his masters in Marketing at University of California, Los Angeles in the year 1998. Thereafter he came down to India, as he is fascinated towards direction, modeling and acting. He continued his career as model for twenty years straight, but due to industry standards, he got addicted to sumptuous life and lavish spends. He acted in two Bollywood movies namely ‘OM’ and ‘Chand sa roshan chehra’ during his acting career. Thereafter lack of shoots and opportunities, he incurred debts for his survival, meantime he came across the child modeling scam within the Bollywood, then he did research about the same and found that so many people are into it, and making huge money within short period. Then he had determined to do the same. As such he lured so many innocent people within India in the name of child modeling and looted huge amounts from numerous parents of children, for which he got arrested by Mumbai Police and sent to prison. In order to avoid further accusation, he intentionally changed his name from Apoorva Ashwin Davda to Armaan Arjun Kapoor.
He got married to A-2 Nazish Iqbal Memon who used to work within modeling field in Bollywood and after marriage he changed her name as Natasha Kapoor @ Nazish Apurva Memon. A-2, having come out of her house to get married to A-1, had cooperated with him to commit this offence and got involved in the cases he committed.
Modus Operandi of the Accused
The accused gets a website designed for him on the guise of modelling agency and chooses crowded malls in the Metro cities. He contacts the mall manager over WhatsApp call and manages to get permission to establish the set up for children ramp walk. Then he takes out the contact numbers of the job aspirants in fashion designing course from indeed.com, calls them and engages them to conduct the ramp walk show in the mall by making them believe that he is going to pay them handsome salary for doing so. Later, when the victims visit the mall for shopping and other purposes, happen to see the kiosk inside the mall, their contact numbers will be taken and their children will be made walk on the ramp with a little grooming. The victims will be provided a coupon code and asked to wait for a week or so. Later, the accused contacts the parents of the kids over WhatsApp call and says that their kid has been selected for an Ad with film stars/cricketers and starts collecting the money from them on the pretext of package charges, apparel, costume, make up kit, refundable caution deposit, etc. Later, he switches off the number used for communication. In this entire offence, A-2 claimed herself as Meghana and she is the one who spoke to everyone first and later she handed over the phone to the A-1 claiming him as her boss namely Amit.
How the bank accounts have been procured
He visits towns and cities across the country and selects money transfer shops and by saying different personal reasons about the requirement of cash, he convinces the shop owners for giving cash, later as per his plans, he directs the victims to deposit the demanded amount into the accounts of the shop owners whom he already prepared for giving the cash on commission basis. In this manner, he selected the account holders from Jaipur, Ajmer of Rajasthan and other parts of the country.
The property seized from the possession of accused
* Net cash Rs.15,60,000/-
* Apple Mobile Phones – 4
* Apple Laptop -1
* Airtel SIM Cards – 3
* Aadhar Cards – 2
Cases in which the accused are involved
1) Cr No: 8/2023 of Cyber Crime PS, CYB (This case)
2) Cr No: 34/2023 of Cyber Crime PS, CYB
3) Cr No: 1446/2022 of Gachibowli PS, CYB
4) Cr No: 35/2023 of Bachupally PS, CYB
5) Cr No: 63/2022 of PS South East Central PS, Bangalore
Advisory to the general public
* Do not believe the persons over phone calls
* Do not transfer the money into unknown persons’ accounts
* Do not believe the fake websites unless you visit their office and ascertain the genuineness.
* Do not fall prey for the words of the fraudsters that they work with film stars/cricketers or other celebrities.
* If something is found suspicious or dubious, immediately inform the police by dialing 100 to prevent the occurrence of the offence.
* If any cyber offence occurs, immediately report it to national Cyber Crime helpline by dialing 1930. Sooner you report the offence to 1930, better the chances to get the amount refunded.
The Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Sri M. Stephen Ravindra, IPS, appreciated the dedicated efforts of the officers and men of Cyber Crime, Cyberabad team who actively participated in apprehending the accused. Team led by officer Sri. S. Ramesh Kumar, Inspector of Police, SI K. Rajendra along with team members of Cyber Crime PS, Cyberabad Commissionerate has done tremendous work under close monitoring and guidance of ACP, Cyber Crime Sri G. Sridhar and under the supervision of Smt. Riti Raj, IPS, Addl. DCP, Cyber Crimes and under the able guidance of Sri. Kalmeshwar Shingewar, IPS, DCP, Crimes, Cyberabad.
You must be logged in to post a comment.