Jaipur, Jan 29 (IANS) The Rajasthan Police, under the state-wide Operation Cyber Shield initiated by the Police Headquarters, have arrested five accused who were working as a gang in a large-scale cyber fraud.
They created fake firms, opened fraudulent bank accounts in their names, and conducted transactions worth Rs 26 crore through these mule accounts.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Arshad Ali said that during the operation, authorities seized 60 passbooks and chequebooks from various banks, 32 ATM and debit cards, 11 mobile phones, eight SIM cards, seven fake rubber stamps, and multiple bank-related documents.
An investigation revealed that 66 complaints of cyber fraud from 16 different states were linked to the 60 seized bank accounts, as registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) of the Indian government.
The case has been lodged at the Cyber police station, and further inquiry is ongoing.
Under the guidance of Director General of Police (DGP) Utkal Ranjan Sahu and DGP (Cyber Crime, SCRB, and Technical Services) Hemant Priyadarshi, a special team comprising the District Cyber Cell, Cyber police station, and District Special Teams was assigned to investigate cyber fraud complaints recorded on the NCRP and JMIS portals of the Indian government.
A detailed technical analysis of complaints led to the detection of fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs 26 crore across 60 bank accounts in the Hanumangarh region.
Following a rigorous investigation, five key gang members were arrested which include Akashdeep (28), Aditya Valmiki (23), Zakir Hussain (30), Kailash Khichad (26), and Nidhiraj Bishnoi (27).
During questioning, the accused admitted to using mule accounts for fraud through various schemes, including investment fraud (fake trading apps, Telegram scams luring victims into stock market investments), illegal gaming platforms, and cryptocurrency fraud (USDT transactions).
The fraudulently acquired money was withdrawn in cash and distributed among the gang members.
Preliminary investigations also suggest the involvement of bank employees, who may have facilitated fraud in account opening, net banking, and cash withdrawals.
Authorities have launched a detailed probe into their role.
The gang registered fake firms on the Udyam portal of the Indian government.
They targeted vulnerable individuals such as drug addicts and those in financial distress, offering them money in exchange for using their documents to open bank accounts.
The fraudsters kept control of all banking credentials -- passbooks, ATMs, chequebooks, SIM cards, and signed cheques.
Once funds from cyber scams were deposited into these accounts, they withdrew the money using signed cheques.
The Hanumangarh police continue to investigate the network behind this large-scale cyber fraud, with efforts underway to identify other accomplices and potential victims, said officials.
