Pali | Amid a sharp rise in cyber crime cases, Rajasthan’s Pali district police have launched a large-scale financial investigation targeting 2,117 bank accounts suspected of being linked to cyber fraud and online betting operations. Investigators believe many of these accounts may have been used as “mule accounts” — bank accounts rented or obtained from individuals to move illegally acquired money. In response, police have initiated a special crackdown campaign named “Operation Mule Hunt.”
According to officials, cyber fraud cases reported in Pali district over the last three-and-a-half years have resulted in financial losses exceeding ₹25 crore. With complaints increasing steadily, police have formed dedicated teams comprising personnel from the cyber police station, cyber cell and local police stations to trace suspicious banking activities, identify account operators and dismantle networks involved in financial fraud.
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Investigators say cyber criminals are increasingly avoiding the direct use of their own bank accounts and instead relying on economically vulnerable individuals whose accounts are used to receive and transfer fraudulent funds. These rented accounts are later allegedly used for transactions linked to investment scams, digital arrest frauds, fake loan schemes, online gaming rackets and betting operations.
Police officials stated that each of the 2,117 flagged accounts had shown suspicious or questionable transactions at some stage. Authorities are now examining complete banking histories, transaction patterns, linked mobile numbers, digital payment activity and fund transfer routes associated with these accounts. Investigators are also attempting to determine whether money routed through these accounts was later transferred to operators in other states or even foreign-controlled cyber fraud networks.
According to investigators, cyber fraud syndicates have rapidly expanded their operations into smaller cities and rural regions over the last few years. In many cases, local intermediaries allegedly approach financially distressed individuals and offer small commissions in exchange for access to bank accounts, ATM cards, SIM cards and internet banking credentials. Authorities say many account holders later discover that their accounts were used in large-scale cyber fraud transactions involving lakhs or even crores of rupees.
Police data shows that since 2023, around 7,115 cyber fraud complaints have been registered in Pali district alone. The total reported fraud amount in these cases has crossed approximately ₹25.73 crore. Cyber police teams have managed to freeze nearly ₹11.57 crore linked to fraudulent transactions, while over ₹2 crore has reportedly been refunded to victims. However, investigators admit that in many cases, fraud proceeds are transferred rapidly through multiple accounts and digital payment channels, making recovery and tracing operations increasingly difficult.
Officials involved in the investigation say mule bank accounts have become one of the most critical components of organised cyber crime operations. Without such accounts, cyber criminals would face far greater difficulty in hiding or redistributing illegally obtained funds. This has led fraud networks to aggressively target economically weaker individuals who may not fully understand the legal consequences of sharing banking access.
Cyber experts warn that organised cyber gangs are now operating sophisticated financial routing systems in which fraud may be committed in one state while stolen money is layered through accounts located across several other regions. The use of rented accounts also helps criminals distance themselves from direct financial trails, complicating police investigations and delaying fund recovery efforts.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said cyber criminals across India are building organised banking ecosystems to support large-scale financial fraud operations. According to him, many individuals knowingly provide access to their accounts in exchange for small commissions without realising that those same accounts later become linked to major cyber crime investigations. He warned that sharing bank accounts, ATM cards, SIM cards, internet banking credentials or UPI access with others can expose individuals to serious criminal liability and financial scrutiny.
Experts further noted that cyber fraud investigations increasingly require coordination between banks, telecom operators, financial intelligence agencies and state police units because fraud money is often layered through multiple accounts within minutes. Authorities believe that detailed forensic examination of the suspicious accounts may uncover wider links to online betting syndicates, organised cyber fraud modules and interstate financial crime networks.
Police officials said financial and digital forensic analysis of the suspicious accounts is currently underway. Investigators expect that the ongoing operation may lead to the identification of larger cyber fraud networks and hidden transaction channels operating across multiple states.
