CHOMU: A promise of easy employment—framed as a bank’s customer service franchise—drew victims into opening accounts that later became conduits for cyber fraud. When the money began to surface, investigators traced a quiet network operating through ordinary bank paperwork.
A Franchise Offer That Raised No Immediate Alarm
In late December, a resident of Morija village in Jaipur district filed a complaint at the Samod police station after what appeared to be a routine business proposal unraveled into suspicion. According to investigators, the complainant had received a message through a WhatsApp group advertising a bank customer service franchise—an arrangement that promised official status, modest fees and steady returns.
Police say the man behind the offer introduced himself as a nodal officer for multiple banks, claiming authority to facilitate account openings on behalf of prospective franchisees. For a fee of ₹3,000 per bank—₹18,000 in total—the complainant was asked to provide Aadhaar credentials and other documents. The arrangement appeared bureaucratic rather than clandestine, drawing on the language of formal banking and customer service operations.
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Accounts Frozen, a Pattern Emerges
Banks began freezing the newly opened accounts after detecting deposits linked to cyber fraud, police said. When the complainant sought franchise-related documentation, the alleged intermediary delayed repeatedly and eventually cut off contact. That silence, officers said, coincided with the discovery that the accounts were being used to transfer and withdraw funds traced to online scams.
According to the police, the accounts had been opened in the complainant’s name but were effectively controlled by another party. Mobile numbers, email addresses, passbooks, cheque books and ATM cards remained with the accused, giving him operational access while insulating him from immediate detection.
Investigators described the accounts as “pass-through” instruments—briefly holding illicit funds before they were withdrawn or moved onward, a common tactic in cyber fraud cases where money trails are intentionally fragmented.
The Investigation and the Arrest
After the case was registered on December 26, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of senior officers of the Rajasthan Police. Bank records and technical evidence were examined to establish control and usage patterns of the accounts.
Police identified the suspect as Sanjay Saini, a resident of Chomu, and arrested him after concluding that he had orchestrated the account openings and subsequent transactions. Officers said Saini had represented himself as a statewide nodal officer responsible for allocating franchises, an assertion they found to be false.
Authorities allege that Saini contacted individuals, persuaded them to open accounts in their own names, and then used those accounts to channel proceeds of cyber fraud. Once his role was substantiated through banking and digital records, he was produced before a court.
A Familiar Warning in a New Guise
Police officials said the case underscores how cyber fraud networks increasingly rely on credible-sounding intermediaries rather than overt deception. By invoking banks, franchises and customer service centers, such schemes blur the line between legitimate financial services and criminal misuse.
In a public advisory, officers urged citizens to verify any request for money, documents or account details made in the name of a bank franchise or customer service operation directly with the concerned bank. Even seemingly minor fees or routine paperwork, they warned, can become entry points into larger fraud operations.
