Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 24: Police have arrested two individuals who allegedly misused the bank accounts of poor people for online fraud. The arrested are Avinash Sutar (28) from Tahsildar Galli, Belagavi, and Anoop Karekar (42) from Ramdev Galli.

During the investigation into a cybercrime case, police uncovered the duo’s scheme of exploiting innocent people’s bank accounts. The accused would persuade poor individuals to open bank accounts by offering them small amounts of money. They would then collect the account details under the pretext of conducting online business and hand them over to cyber fraudsters.

The fraudsters would use these accounts to blackmail wealthy individuals through video calls and digital arrests. Once their targets fell into the trap, they were coerced into transferring money to the bank accounts of these unsuspecting individuals.

How was the fraud exposed?

The scam came to light after a victim, Radhakrishna Nayak from Puttur, received a video call from cyber fraudsters who threatened to digitally arrest him in a money laundering case. Fearing consequences, he transferred Rs 40 lac via RTGS. However, after a few days, he grew suspicious and filed a complaint at the CEN police station.

Upon investigation, police traced the transaction to a bank account in Belagavi, revealing the involvement of the arrested individuals.

How did cyber fraudsters gain access to bank accounts?

The accused reportedly collaborated with cybercriminals from North India via Telegram. They provided bank accounts to fraudsters for a commission. During interrogation, it was discovered that several individuals had sold their bank accounts to others. The arrested duo also revealed links between this cyber fraud operation and Jamtara in Jharkhand, a known hotspot for online scams.