Gurugram: The Gurugram police have arrested three men from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly providing and reselling bank accounts to cyber fraudsters involved in an online task scam. Police said the investigation uncovered a chain in which bank accounts were allegedly provided to intermediaries, transferred between individuals and ultimately used to receive suspected cyber fraud proceeds.
The case began with a complaint from a person who allegedly lost around ₹3.30 lakh after being contacted through WhatsApp and Telegram with an offer of part-time online work. Investigators later traced ₹50,000 of the alleged fraud proceeds to a bank account held by one of the arrested suspects.
How Did the ₹3.30 Lakh Online Task Scam Begin?
According to the complaint, the victim was contacted through WhatsApp and Telegram and offered a part-time job involving online tasks.
The victim was allegedly asked to transfer money as part of the task process. After making multiple payments, the person reportedly lost approximately ₹3.30 lakh.
The complaint was filed on October 21 last year, following which a case was registered at the Cyber Crime Manesar police station.
Police began examining the financial trail to identify the accounts that had allegedly received the victim’s money.
How Did Police Trace the Bank Account Network?
During the investigation, police reportedly identified a bank account into which ₹50,000 of the victim’s alleged loss had been transferred.
The account was held in the name of Krishak Sharma, a resident of Jankipuram, Lucknow.
According to police, further investigation revealed that Sharma had allegedly provided his account to Vinay Kumar Sharma alias Anshu, who allegedly arranged the account for use in cyber fraud.
Police then allegedly found that Vinay Sharma had subsequently sold the same account to Kashan Ahmad, another resident of Lucknow.
This alleged chain — account holder, intermediary and subsequent user — is now a key focus of the investigation.
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Three Accused Arrested in Lucknow
The Gurugram police arrested three suspects from Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
They have been identified as:
- Krishak Sharma, resident of Sector-I, Jankipuram, Lucknow.
- Vinay Kumar Sharma alias Anshu, resident of Sector-H, Jankipuram, Lucknow.
- Kashan Ahmad, resident of Mishrpur Barkhurdar village, Lucknow.
Police are questioning the three accused to establish their individual roles and determine whether the alleged account-selling arrangement involved other bank accounts or intermediaries.
Why Do Cybercriminals Use Other People’s Bank Accounts?
Cyber fraud networks frequently rely on accounts that are not directly held by the people operating the scam.
A victim may transfer money believing they are paying a legitimate company or service provider, while the money may actually enter an account belonging to an intermediary or so-called mule account holder.
The funds can then be transferred through additional accounts, withdrawn or moved using other financial channels.
This can make it more difficult for investigators to immediately identify the people who actually planned and controlled the fraud.
What Is a Mule Account?
A mule account is a bank account used to receive, transfer or withdraw money on behalf of another person, particularly when the actual source or beneficiary of the funds is being concealed.
In cyber fraud cases, criminals may allegedly obtain access to accounts by offering account holders money or commissions. In other cases, account holders may knowingly provide their banking credentials or accounts to intermediaries.
Investigators generally examine KYC records, transaction histories, device information, UPI activity and the actual person controlling the account to establish how it was used.
Can You Get Into Legal Trouble for Selling Your Bank Account?
Yes. Allowing another person to use your bank account, ATM card, UPI credentials or banking access can expose the account holder to serious legal and financial consequences, particularly if the account is subsequently used to receive proceeds of crime.
Even if someone claims that the account will only be used for legitimate transactions, handing over banking access or allowing another person to operate an account can make it difficult to establish that the account holder had no involvement.
People should never provide their account details or banking credentials in exchange for a commission or quick payment.
How Do Online Task Scams Work?
Online task scams commonly begin with unsolicited messages offering easy part-time work.
Fraudsters may ask victims to complete simple activities such as rating products, reviewing businesses or performing other online tasks. Small initial payments or commissions may sometimes be shown to create confidence.
Once trust is established, victims may be asked to deposit increasingly larger amounts to unlock higher-value tasks or withdraw supposed earnings.
The victim can eventually be left unable to recover the money already deposited.
What Are the Warning Signs of a Task Scam?
People should be cautious if an online job offer:
- Arrives unexpectedly through WhatsApp, Telegram or social media.
- Promises unusually high earnings for simple tasks.
- Requires an upfront payment or “security deposit”.
- Asks the worker to deposit money to unlock additional tasks.
- Shows commissions or profits that can only be withdrawn after another payment.
- Directs payments to unrelated personal bank accounts.
- Pressures the victim to make larger deposits after an initial successful transaction.
A genuine employer should not require workers to repeatedly deposit their own money simply to receive wages or commissions.
What Did the Investigation Reveal About the Account Chain?
According to police, the investigation indicates that the bank account held by Krishak Sharma was allegedly provided to Vinay Sharma and later sold to Kashan Ahmad.
The alleged movement of the account between different people is significant because investigators are attempting to determine who actually controlled it when the ₹50,000 linked to the victim’s alleged loss was credited.
Police are also examining whether the same accused allegedly arranged or transferred other accounts for use by cybercriminals.
Police Investigating Wider Cyber Fraud Network
Investigators are now examining the financial trail associated with the three accused and the beneficiary accounts connected to the case.
Police are expected to analyse account statements, KYC records, transaction histories, mobile numbers and digital evidence to identify additional account holders and intermediaries.
The investigation will also seek to determine whether the alleged account-selling arrangement was limited to this ₹3.30 lakh task scam or formed part of a wider network supplying bank accounts to cyber fraud operators.
The arrests followed the financial investigation into the online task scam, which led police to an account where a portion of the victim’s alleged loss had been credited.
The allegations against the arrested individuals remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. Further arrests or charges will depend on evidence recovered during the probe.
About the author — Ananya Aradhya writes on cybercrime, fraud, scams, cybersecurity, digital safety, and emerging threats. Her work also covers major criminal cases, financial frauds, consumer scams, and stories that highlight risks affecting people in the real and digital world.
