State police issues advisory
Morung Express
Dimapur | April 24
Mobile tower installation scam, a mass market fraud, seems to be targeting gullible victims again in the state if one goes by Nagaland Police’s advisory issued on April 24.
The fraud centers on the installation of a mobile tower on property owned by the targeted victim.
The advisory titled, “Nagaland Police Advisory on Installation offers of Mobile Towers,” was posted on the Facebook page of the DGP Nagaland.
The advisory informed that it has come to the notice of the police that some “fraudsters have been Floating/Giving offers” for tower installation of mobile service providers.
The modus operandi of the fraudsters, according to the advisory, is to send “fake documents/agreement copies with fake logos and email Ids of mobile service providers” and offer lucrative monthly rent for tower installation.
Thereafter, the victims are instructed to submit their land records and make advance payments for processing fee, insurance claim etc, it added. In this connection, the advisory cautioned that Mobile Service Companies does “not Float/Give such arbitrary offers of Mobile Tower Installation nor does it take any deposits/advance payments from Land/Building owners.”
“The public is thus cautioned not to respond in any way to such offers of mobile tower installation,” it added. The police further requested everyone “to share and disseminate such Information in any platform in the Interest of the general public.”
It also informed the general public that the DGP Nagaland can be contacted on Whatsapp @ +91 8258829982 or Facebook Page @ DGP Nagaland, for any assistance. In June 2017, The Morung Express reported that such scams were doing the rounds in Nagaland.
A general manager of a leading mobile phone service operator had told the paper then that they also received numerous complaints from individuals in Nagaland on how they were conned into depositing money on the pretext of installing mobile towers in their premises, after which the fraudsters disappeared.
The victims of the fraud include people from areas as far as Kiphire and Pfustero, he had informed.
The Manager said that no cellular company follows such a procedure as carried out by the fraudsters for installation of mobile tower adding that telecom companies decide the location based on RF (radio frequency) analysis of the area, business requirement, identifying the coordinates of the location (latitude and longitude) etc.
Further, it is mandatory to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the chairman of the colony or village where the tower would be installed.
Besides, the telecom company or infrastructure provider company do not seek any advance money from the landowner and it is installed free of cost without any registration.
Around the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India also posted on its website saying it is not directly or indirectly involved in levying any tax/ fees on leasing private premises for installation of a mobile tower or for issuing any ‘No Objection Certification’ for the purpose.
It stated that anyone dealing with such companies/agencies/individuals will be doing so at his/her own risk and TRAI cannot be held responsible for any loss or damages suffered directly or indirectly.
