Raigad Police have initiated a significant crackdown on mule bank accounts used by cyber fraud syndicates (Representative image)
NAVI MUMBAi: Raigad Police have launched a major crackdown on mule bank accounts used by cyber fraud syndicates, registering as many as 23 FIRs at 14 police stations in Raigad district, after money trailing suspicious transactions collectively Rs 35.30 crore. The Raigad Cyber police have arrested one accused, a 34-year-old man, residing in Pen, who had opened 10 mule bank accounts by offering money to citizens. API Amol Jadhav of Cyber police station said, “The accused was arrested on July 24 after the money trail of 10 FIRs registered at Cyber police station revealed that he had opened mule bank accounts by approaching citizens, mostly in rural areas and adivasi hamlets and gave them Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. API Jadhav said, “In the 10 mule bank accounts opened by the accused, a total of Rs 3.60 crore was recieved for parking the money recieved from cyber fraud victims. The accused was remanded to police custody till July 29 and further extended till August 1. Meanwhile, the maximum defrauded amount of Rs 23.60 crore was parked in a mule bank account whose FIR was registered at Khopoli police station, followed by Rs 5.48 crore parked in a mule bank account whose FIR was registered at Alibaug police station.
The accused’s identity cannot be revealed as the scammers with whom he had connived for opening the mule bank accounts are being traced.
Pravin Pande, senior police inspector of Alibaug said, “The cyber scammers recruit agents by offering commission for targeting citizens to open mule bank accounts, which are then used for receiving money by defrauding citizens through online scams. The agents mostly target gullible villagers and tribals for opening mule bank accounts by claiming that by opening bank accounts, they will receive money under various government welfare schemes and even loan facilities for self-employed, etc. “