Hardoi Police have carried out a major crackdown on a cyber fraud network operating through mule bank accounts and mobile numbers, arresting 25 accused, including three women. The operation was launched as part of a special campaign to identify bank accounts and SIM cards being misused for cybercrime.
Preliminary findings suggest the arrested individuals allowed cybercriminals to use their accounts and mobile numbers to receive and transfer fraud proceeds. Authorities are now analysing digital evidence, banking records and financial transactions to map the full network.
Police conducted simultaneous raids across several jurisdictions. Seven accused were arrested from Pali, five from Sawayajpur, two from Pachdevra, and nine from Kasimpur, with one each held from City Kotwali and Sandila.
A Politically Connected Name, and an Account Run From Afar
One arrest has drawn particular attention. Police identified a bank account in the Sandila area, linked to one of the accused, through which more than ₹1 crore had allegedly been transacted. Multiple complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal indicated the account had been used specifically to route cyber fraud proceeds.
Among those arrested is Arvind, son of Shyam Sundar Diwakar, a former district president of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Investigators are examining the financial trail to identify both the original source of the funds and the ultimate beneficiaries.
In a separate but related development, police arrested Dhirish Goswami, a resident of Unnao. Investigators found that although he worked at a garment factory in Mumbai, his bank account was being operated remotely from the Sandila area, and had recorded transactions exceeding ₹1 crore across multiple fraud complaints, a pattern suggesting his physical distance from the district may have been deliberately exploited to delay detection.
How the Mule Account Economy Works
The investigation has revealed extensive use of mule accounts, a method increasingly common among organised cybercriminals nationwide. Under this arrangement, account holders are offered commissions in exchange for letting their accounts receive fraud proceeds, which are then moved through multiple accounts to obscure their origin.
Preliminary findings indicate account holders were paid around ₹5,000 for each major banking transaction they facilitated, while those providing only mobile numbers received between ₹500 and ₹1,000 per transaction, small sums that nonetheless proved enough to draw dozens of participants into the scheme. This is not Hardoi’s first such crackdown either; in June, police dismantled a separate ten-member gang running fraud through fake websites and gaming applications, suggesting local police are now treating account-renting networks as a sustained priority rather than isolated cases.
What Comes Next
Investigating agencies are conducting forensic examinations of seized mobile phones, bank records, digital devices and call data. Authorities are also examining whether the Hardoi network has links to cybercrime syndicates operating in other states, with further legal action expected against any additional individuals identified during the ongoing probe.
Prof. Triveni Singh, the former IPS officer and cybercrime specialist, said mule accounts have become one of the most critical components of organised cyber-enabled financial crime. Rather than using their own accounts, he explained, criminals increasingly rely on accounts and mobile numbers obtained from unsuspecting or willing individuals to disguise the movement of illicit funds.
He said banks must strengthen KYC verification, real-time monitoring of suspicious transactions, and detection of dormant account misuse, alongside faster information-sharing with law enforcement. He also urged the public never to rent out or share their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, mobile numbers or OTPs, warning that doing so can expose them to serious criminal liability even if they never directly participated in the fraud itself.
