Delhi Police cyber cell bust mule account syndicate, uncover network of 30 fraud-linked accounts

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Cyber wing of Delhi Police in Central Delhi busted a cyber fraud mule account syndicate on Monday, unraveling a network of nearly 30 bank accounts allegedly used to route proceeds of cybercrime. Two key operatives involved in arranging and supplying mule bank accounts have been arrested from Jaipur, Rajasthan, police said.

The arrests were made during investigation of cyber financial fraud case, involving unauthorised access to victim’s mobile phone and the fraudulent transfer of Rs 1.91 lakh. Investigators also uncovered a sophisticated money-laundering mechanism in which fraud proceeds were allegedly used to repay loans, including gold loans, in an attempt to disguise the illicit origin of the funds.

According to police, the case came to light on April 23, when a complainant reported unauthorised withdrawals from his bank account. The victim stated that on April 22, his mobile phone suddenly became unresponsive, with the screen turning completely black and the device overheating abnormally. After the phone resumed normal functioning, he discovered that Rs 95,000 had been debited from his bank account without his knowledge or consent.

The following day, the complainant noticed another unauthorized transaction of Rs 96,000 from the same account through an unknown source. In total, Rs 1.91 lakh was fraudulently siphoned off. The victim maintained that he had neither initiated nor authorized the transactions and suspected that his mobile phone and banking credentials had been compromised by cyber fraudsters.

Based on the complaint, an FIR lodged at Cyber Central police station, Central Delhi, and an investigation launched.

During the investigation, the team carried out an extensive technical and financial analysis. The money trail revealed that the fraudulently transferred amount of Rs 1.91 lakh had been routed through multiple beneficiary bank accounts, including a Yes Bank account in the name of Rohit Kumar Bairwa and a Kotak Mahindra Bank account belonging to another beneficiary.

Further scrutiny of account details, technical surveillance, and local inquiries led investigators to Jaipur, Rajasthan, where the accused were traced and apprehended.

During sustained interrogation, Rohit Kumar Bairwa, 21, a resident of Sanganer in Jaipur, disclosed that he had provided multiple bank accounts to co-accused Lokesh Mahawar in exchange for a commission of two per cent on the fraudulent funds received.

Acting on his disclosure and corroborating technical evidence, police subsequently arrested Lokesh Mahawar, 21, also a resident of Sanganer, Jaipur.

Investigators said Lokesh was actively involved in arranging and supplying mule bank accounts to cyber fraud syndicates and had facilitated nearly 30 such accounts for routing proceeds generated through cyber fraud. He allegedly earned commissions for arranging the accounts and operated a wider network involved in receiving and transferring fraud proceeds.

The accused further revealed that cybercriminals gained unauthorised access to victims’ mobile phones and banking applications before transferring stolen funds into mule accounts arranged by the syndicate.

The investigation also exposed a sophisticated laundering mechanism in which loans, including gold loans, were obtained in the names of account holders and later repaid using fraud proceeds. This method was allegedly used to conceal the origin of the funds and project them as legitimate earnings.

Police have recovered two mobile phones allegedly used in the commission of the crime. Investigators have also traced the entire money trail of Rs 1.91 lakh through multiple beneficiary accounts and identified details of nearly 30 mule bank accounts linked to the syndicate.

Both accused have been produced before the concerned court. Further investigation is in progress to identify other members of the syndicate, trace additional mule account holders, and complete the financial trail analysis, police said.

–IANS

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