Gang in pre-paid phone card fraud busted

The Dubai Criminal Investigation Department has arrested two men for allegedly tampering with the cash credit of prepaid telephone cards.

In February, the CID received information that a Bulgarian living in Ajman was tampering with the balances of prepaid cards by hacking into the GSM network.

In early March, at 1am, the house of the suspect was raided by Ajman Police and the accused, along with another Bulgarian, were arrested. The police also arrested two Indians said to be involved.

During questioning the first accused told the police that he received a call from an unidentified man in Bulgaria telling him that he could multiply GSM prepaid card balances.

This man offered him half the revenues from the scam.

In order to prove his claim, the unidentified man entered a balance of Dh450 into the mobile phone of the accused, and the same amount into the mobile phone of his friend. The accused then recruited two Indians to collect customers.

The accused were charged with swindling, and remanded pending trial.