Chandauli: Police have uncovered an alleged cyber fraud network in which poor villagers were lured with promises of government schemes and Prime Minister Mudra loans and their bank accounts were subsequently used to receive proceeds of cyber fraud.
Two alleged members of the gang have been arrested in the Dhanapur police station area. The accused have been identified as Ashish Vishwakarma, 22, a resident of Pasai village, and Rohit Kumar alias Kala, 31, a resident of Sewadhi Madai village. Rohit had previously worked for a private bank.
According to police, the two accused were arrested on Saturday afternoon from the Odra road. Two mobile phones, allegedly forged Aadhaar cards, an ATM card and a cheque book were recovered from their possession. Preliminary investigation has indicated that the accused allegedly approached economically weaker people in rural areas by promising to help them obtain benefits under government schemes and the Prime Minister Mudra loan programme. They then allegedly got zero-balance bank accounts opened in their names.
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The accused allegedly collected ATM cards and OTP-related information from the account holders after the accounts were opened and shared the details with other members of the network. Police suspect that associates based in Mumbai used fake loan websites and misleading advertisements to target people in cyber fraud. The money obtained through the alleged fraud was then routed into bank accounts belonging to villagers whose accounts had been brought under the control of the network.
These accounts were allegedly used as mule accounts. Once the fraud proceeds reached the accounts, the money was reportedly withdrawn through ATMs. The accused allegedly distributed the withdrawn funds among members of the network. Investigators are now trying to determine the total amount that may have been routed through these accounts and the number of victims linked to the alleged operation.
The investigation has also highlighted the alleged role of former bank employee Rohit. Police said he had helped open around 300 bank accounts while working at the bank. He was subsequently removed from his job after suspicious activities reportedly came to light. Police are now examining all these accounts to determine how many were allegedly used to receive or transfer cyber fraud proceeds.
Preliminary investigation has revealed 18 cyber fraud complaints linked to four suspected mule accounts. The complaints involve transactions of around ₹2.50 lakh. Investigators are examining bank transaction records, information recovered from the mobile phones and other digital evidence to establish the alleged links between the accused and these complaints.
Police have also found indications that the alleged network extends beyond Uttar Pradesh. Its links are suspected to reach Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha. The role of alleged associates operating from Mumbai is also under investigation. Investigators are trying to determine who operated the fake loan websites and advertisements and through how many bank accounts the fraud proceeds were moved.
Investigators are now examining transactions involving around 300 bank accounts. Account holders will also be questioned to determine why the accounts were opened and how their ATM cards and banking information came into the possession of the accused. Police are also examining whether the account holders were unaware that their accounts were allegedly being used for cyber fraud or knowingly allowed the network to use them.
The use of mule accounts is a common method in cyber fraud networks to create layers between the victims’ money and the alleged beneficiaries, making it more difficult to trace the flow of funds. In this case, the accused allegedly used the promise of government benefits and Mudra loans to get bank accounts opened and subsequently used those accounts to receive fraud proceeds. Police are continuing the investigation to identify other members of the alleged network and trace its wider financial links.
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