Kochi Police Arrest Three Over Bank Accounts Supplied To Cyber Fraud Gangs

Kochi City Cyber Police have arrested three men accused of collecting bank accounts from ordinary citizens and supplying them to cyber-fraud gangs operating across India. Investigators suspect the accused offered money to account holders in exchange for access to their banking documents.

The arrests took place near the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand, where the suspects were allegedly collecting account details. The operation was conducted jointly by Kochi City Cyber Police and Cyberdome following instructions from City Police Commissioner R Nishanthini.

The investigation has drawn attention to a less visible part of online financial crime. While fraudsters contact victims through calls, messages or fraudulent websites, other people arrange bank accounts to receive and move the stolen money.

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How The Suspected Network Collected Bank Accounts

Police identified the arrested men as Vipin Vincent (32) from Thoppumpady, Ajith Varghese (27) from Kumbalangi, both in Ernakulam district, and Mohammed Roshan (26) from Alathur in Palakkad district.

According to investigators, the accused approached individuals with offers of easy money. They allegedly collected passbooks, ATM cards and cheque books before transferring the banking documents to groups involved in financial fraud.

Police suspect the men acted as intermediaries between account holders and organised cybercrime networks. Such arrangements allow criminals to obtain access to banking facilities without opening accounts in their own names.

Investigators also found that the suspects allegedly communicated through fake social media profiles. Police are examining these communications to identify other people involved in the suspected operation.

Vincent reportedly has two earlier cases registered against him at Koothattukulam and Aroor police stations. Ajith Varghese also faces a separate case at Veeyapuram police station involving similar allegations. These cases do not establish guilt.

Investigators are now examining possible connections with fraud cases in other states. The number of accounts allegedly supplied, the money transferred through them and the identities of the suspected recipients have not yet been established publicly.

What Are Mule Accounts And Why Do Fraudsters Need Them?

The bank accounts at the centre of this investigation are commonly called mule accounts.

A mule account is an ordinary bank account used to receive or transfer money connected to suspected criminal activity. The person whose name appears on the account may knowingly participate or may have been deceived into allowing someone else to use it.

For example, a fraudster who steals money through a fake investment scheme may ask the victim to transfer funds into an account belonging to an unrelated person. The money can then be moved through other accounts or withdrawn.

This movement makes investigations more complicated because the first account identified by police may not belong to the person who organised the fraud.

The Reserve Bank of India has repeatedly warned customers against allowing others to operate their accounts. Even someone attracted by a small commission can face serious legal and financial consequences if the account is misused.

Earlier Arrests Expose A Wider Banking Fraud Problem

The Kochi arrests follow similar investigations elsewhere in India, although authorities have not established any connection between those cases and the current suspects.

On 30 October, Hyderabad Police arrested three people accused of supplying mule bank accounts to cybercriminals. Investigators identified 83 suspicious accounts across 22 bank branches, including 11 linked to 14 fraud transactions involving approximately ₹10.04 crore.

The Hyderabad suspects allegedly received commissions ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per banking kit. The420.in reported that investigation on 1 November.

The national scale of the problem has also attracted regulatory attention. In a March 2026 parliamentary response, the Union Home Ministry said banks had been advised to strengthen transaction monitoring and use technology to identify suspicious banking networks.

The ministry reported that 27.37 lakh first-layer mule accounts had been shared with participating institutions through the national Suspect Registry by 31 January 2026. This figure represents accounts flagged through the system, not proven criminal convictions.

For Kochi investigators, the immediate challenge is establishing where the collected accounts went and whether they were connected to specific financial fraud complaints.

Commissioner Nishanthini has warned that people who surrender banking credentials for money, as well as those arranging such transactions, could face strict legal action.

The investigation remains open, with police examining the suspected network’s reach beyond Kerala and searching for other people who may have facilitated the transfer of banking documents.