Police have arrested two operators of a common service centre for allegedly opening a bank account in the name of a pani puri vendor using his documents and routing cyber fraud proceeds through it. The duo is accused of cheating a Mahuakhala resident of ₹40,000 by posing as a relative seeking urgent financial help after an accident. A third associate who allegedly supplied mobile numbers for the accounts is absconding.
How the fraud unfolded
According to investigators, the complainant had lodged a report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal on January 19, stating that he received a phone call from a person claiming to be a relative who had met with an accident and needed immediate funds. Trusting the caller, he transferred ₹40,000 to the bank account provided.
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Mule account traced to street vendor
Technical analysis of the transaction trail revealed that the money had been credited to an account opened in the name of a street food vendor in Akarabad. When questioned, the vendor told police that he had recently visited a local service centre to apply for an Udyam certificate and had submitted copies of his Aadhaar and other documents there. He said he was unaware that any bank account had been opened in his name.
Service centre operators arrested
Following this lead, police arrested service centre operators Prashant and Pawan. Searches led to the recovery of two laptops, four biometric devices, three mobile phones and forged Aadhaar and PAN cards. Investigators believe the equipment was used to conduct fraudulent e-KYC processes and open bank accounts without the knowledge of the document holders.
Confessions reveal wider racket
During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that they retained copies of customers’ identity documents submitted for legitimate services and later used them to open bank accounts by linking different mobile numbers. These accounts were then used as mule accounts to receive proceeds of cyber fraud.
Police said the absconding associate, identified as Sachin alias Sumit, provided SIM cards or mobile numbers that were linked to the fraudulently opened accounts. Raids are underway to locate him.
Ongoing investigation and warnings
Officials added that the account used in the present case was opened through an NSDL banking channel and the real document holder was never informed. The money was withdrawn immediately after being credited to minimise the digital trail.
A case has been registered against the accused under sections related to cyber fraud, cheating, forgery, identity theft and provisions of the Information Technology Act. The seized digital devices have been sent for forensic examination to determine how many such accounts were opened and the total amount routed through them.
Investigators are also probing whether the accused created multiple mule accounts using similar methods and whether they were linked to a larger cyber fraud network operating across districts. Bank transaction records, login logs and device fingerprints are being analysed to map the financial flow and identify additional victims.
Police have advised citizens visiting service centres to obtain receipts for all document submissions and to periodically check their bank statements and credit reports to ensure no unauthorised accounts or SIM cards have been opened in their names.
Officials said further disclosures are expected after forensic analysis of the seized hardware. The role of the absconding suspect is considered crucial to establishing the full extent of the operation and tracing other linked accounts.
The case has highlighted the growing misuse of customer documents collected at facilitation centres and the need for stricter verification protocols in digital banking and e-KYC processes to prevent identity-based financial fraud.
About the author – Ayesha Aayat is a law student and contributor covering cybercrime, online frauds, and digital safety concerns. Her writing aims to raise awareness about evolving cyber threats and legal responses.
