According to police sources, investigators employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to identify pre-activated SIM cards registered with fake documents in Tamil Nadu but active in international locations. These cards were commonly used by scammers to commit fraud by making calls to unsuspecting victims in the State. The scams ranged from fake online trading opportunities to fraudulent credit or debit card upgrades.
A senior official in the Cyber Crime Wing explained that a significant discrepancy was observed between the number of subscribers who officially activated international roaming services and the actual number of SIM cards being used abroad.
The department is now working closely with central agencies to detect and block suspicious SIM cards. The use of AI has proven instrumental in identifying mobile numbers involved in a disproportionately high volume of calls into Tamil Nadu. Numbers flagged by AI analysis undergo further investigation, and if credible evidence links them to cybercrimes, the SIM cards are promptly deactivated.
The crackdown follows a series of high-profile scams that have defrauded individuals of significant amounts of money.
For example, in Madurai, an advocate lost ₹96.57 lakh in June after responding to a WhatsApp advertisement promoting international share market trading with high returns. In another case, a government doctor was defrauded of ₹76.5 lakh through a similar investment scam.
Special investigation teams formed by the Cyber Crime Wing have been successful in arresting several individuals linked to these fraudulent activities. Recently, a team probing ₹38.28 lakh frozen in various bank accounts apprehended six suspects.
Following their interrogation, two additional suspects, Abdul Rahman from Melur and Sulthan Abdul Kadar from Madurai, were arrested.
Authorities are also collaborating with police in North Indian states to apprehend more suspects tied to accounts through which the defrauded money was transacted. Investigations are ongoing in multiple cases, and the police aim to dismantle the network of fraudsters operating both within India and abroad.
These efforts underscore the importance of using advanced technology like AI to counter increasingly sophisticated cybercrime tactics. By addressing vulnerabilities such as fraudulent SIM cards, Tamil Nadu’s Cyber Crime Wing is taking significant steps to protect citizens and mitigate financial losses.
