Auto drivers to bank executives: Rs 24-cr cyber syndicate exposed

Hyderabad: In a major crackdown, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police, along with the Commissioner’s Task Force, on Tuesday, arrested eight members of a gang involved in opening 127 mule bank accounts to channel over Rs 24 crore in cyber fraud proceeds for masterminds based in Rajasthan. The accused include auto drivers, delivery boys, and a bank executive, who supplied these accounts to cyber fraudsters to facilitate illegal transactions. So far, only Rs 16 lakh has been traced and frozen, while the main cyber fraudsters remain at large.

The investigation began in October 2023 when an auto driver, Poojari Jagadish, was approached by a Rajasthan-based man named Kannaiah, who promised Rs 10,000 per bank account opened. Jagadish, along with others, including Gurudas Sunil Kumar and Parlapalli Nikhil, expanded the operation by recruiting relatives and friends to open accounts across various banks such as Federal Bank, Karnataka Bank, and Karur Vyshya Bank. Account kits, including passbooks, ATM cards, and cheque books, were sent to the fraud ring members in Rajasthan, often using Blue Dart courier services, who then coordinated the frauds remotely.

The cyber criminals credited nearly Rs 24.1 crore into these accounts and debited Rs 23.99 crore towards fraudulent transactions. Several FIRs have emerged across Telangana, Karnataka, and Rajasthan linked to this case. Seized evidence includes 11 passbooks, 14 ATM cards, 12 cheque books, six SIM cards, and mobile devices. Police have cautioned the public against opening bank accounts for others and sharing personal credentials to prevent falling victim to similar cyber crimes. The hunt continues for the absconding masterminds in Rajasthan, with special task forces dedicated to their arrest under the supervision of senior police officials in Hyderabad.