Karnataka’s Cyber Command is positioning mule account networks at the centre of its strategy to disrupt cybercrime, with Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty saying such accounts form the common financial channel through which stolen money is moved, layered and eventually withdrawn or diverted into cryptocurrency wallets.
In an interaction outlining the role of the state’s first Cyber Command, Mohanty said cybercrime has now overtaken traditional crime patterns and requires a coordinated system that combines enforcement, cyber hygiene, outreach, capacity building and cybersecurity. He said the unit is designed as a fusion platform that also tracks disinformation, misinformation and malinformation while advising government departments on breaches and cyber risks.
A Fusion Platform for a Growing Cyber Threat
Mohanty described Cyber Command as a first of its kind concept in the country, built to bring multiple cyber functions under one umbrella. He said the platform connects cybercrime response, cyber outreach, enforcement and cybersecurity management, while also interfacing with existing complaint systems such as the 1930 helpline and the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
According to him, the moment a complaint is made to 1930, it is logged as an e complaint, with Cyber Command functioning as the engine behind that wider response system. He drew a distinction between cyber threats and cybercrime, saying threats relate to attacks on institutional databases, banks or organisations, while cybercrime is more individual oriented and often takes the form of cheating conducted through online means.
Mohanty said law enforcement broadly classifies cyber offences into three categories: traditional cybercrimes, cyber frauds, and crimes against women and children. He identified phishing, skimming, data theft, hacking, credit card theft and spamming as traditional cybercrimes, while noting that cyber frauds, though not new, have now mushroomed and are drawing most of the attention of the police.
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Women, Children and Fraud at the Sharp End
The Karnataka DGP said crimes against women and children remain the most serious segment of the cyber landscape. He cited dissemination of child sexual abuse material as a particularly dangerous category and said offences targeting women now include cyber stalking, cyber bullying, sextortion, deepfakes, deep nudes and deep porn, all of which can result in distress, financial loss and reputational harm.
He also pointed to the growing role of social media in influencing children and teenagers, particularly Gen Z users who spend long periods online and often place greater trust in information circulating on platforms than in advice from parents or teachers. While social media can serve positive purposes, he said, it also spreads misinformation and increases exposure to cyber fraud risks.
On protecting children from online predators, Mohanty said offenders are highly skilled and often groom minors by posing as someone else. He said the burden falls on parents and peers to observe and monitor behaviour online, while cautioning that simply snatching devices away is not the answer because it can cause trauma. He suggested that social media counsellors in schools could be beneficial. He also said cyber awareness programmes are already being conducted in schools and colleges with support from police departments, volunteer organisations and government agencies, with similar drives under way for senior citizens.
Why Mule Accounts Matter Most
On recovery of defrauded money, Mohanty said Cyber Command is functioning as both a fusion platform and a theatre command, bringing police resources together in a coordinated manner. But he made clear that money recovery is only one part of the larger objective, which is to dismantle the cybercrime ecosystem itself.
He said mule accounts are the common factor in most cyber frauds. Such accounts, he explained, are genuine bank accounts whose owners hand over control to cybercriminals in exchange for money, along with ATM cards, SIM cards, passbooks, cheque books and internet banking access. Fraudsters then use these accounts to transfer stolen money through multiple layers before it exits the formal financial system.
Mohanty said these accounts are usually sourced through organised suppliers known as cyber herders, who store and provide mule accounts, fake SIM cards and other tools required for cyber offences in return for commissions. This, he said, forms part of a wider cybercrime as a service model in which different providers supply illegal resources to fraudsters. By identifying and targeting mule account networks and the people who manage them, police believe they can not only detect ongoing crimes but also prevent future offences.
He added that Cyber Command will now focus on building specialised manpower through training and stronger technical expertise. Authorities, he said, are weighing two paths: training existing police personnel in cyber investigations, or recruiting experts with technical backgrounds and later training them in policing. The challenge is clear, but so is the direction. As cybercrime becomes more layered and financially structured, Karnataka’s response is increasingly focused on the infrastructure that keeps it alive.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
