Three States, Three Phones, One Gang: How a Kolkata Jamtara Scam Converted a Fraud into a Lawful Purchase

Investigators in a cross-state cybercrime case have discovered that a mobile phone that was legitimately delivered to Kolkata after being ordered using credentials that were stolen in Rajkot originated from the notorious Jamtara scam networks. The case exposes a convoluted web of digital money laundering, online marketplaces, and identity theft. Scammers impersonating telecom agents tricked a man from Rajkot into divulging his personal information and OTP. Using the information, the gang placed a phone order online under his name. The device was then shipped to Kolkata, where a different person received it with valid-looking documentation and payment slips.

According to police, the criminals, who were most likely based in Jamtara, Jharkhand, rerouted delivery and made the purchase appear authentic by taking advantage of e-commerce flaws. The courier company accepted the fully paid invoice and ID that the receiver in Kolkata presented without question, even though it was later found to be forged. This multi-state operation demonstrates how con artists transform stolen digital goods into “legally owned” devices in order to launder them. After being delivered and activated, these phones are either repurposed in other scams or sold on the black market. According to authorities, the group based in Jamtara is connected to more than 40 incidents of this nature in the past few months.

West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Gujarat cybercrime units are now working together to trace IP addresses, courier records, and digital footprints. Investigators believe that similar scams are routinely carried out with slight variations in methodology, taking advantage of inexperienced delivery agents and shoddy e-commerce verification systems. Experts emphasize that tighter KYC is necessary for online deliveries, particularly for expensive electronics. It is recommended that victims never install unknown apps or share OTPs. To avoid converting cybercrime into “legal” retail transactions, authorities advise marketplaces to more thoroughly cross-verify billing and shipping information.