<p>Bengaluru: Continuing its efforts to crack down on mule account networks, officials from Karnataka’s <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/cyber-crime">Cyber Crime</a> Unit (CCU) have arrested five people who allegedly lured students with the promise of scholarships, to open bank accounts for use in cybercrimes. </p>.<p>The arrested individuals are Raja, 23, Vakdoth Vakeel, 24, both farmers from Vijayanagar district; Zeeshan Ansari, 22, a hotel worker from Jharkhand; Akash, 32, a DJ from Chhattisgarh; and Sahil, 22, a student from <br>Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh). </p>.<p>Investigations revealed that Vakeel and Raju approached the students of the post matric professional boys’ hostel located on Kalasapur Road in Gadag. </p>.<p>“By gaining their trust through false promises of scholarship money and other inducements, they convinced the students to open bank accounts in their respective names at the Bank of Maharashtra in Gadag. The accused themselves provided the initial deposit of Rs 2,000/- for each account. After the accounts were opened, the accused deceitfully collected the passbooks, ATM cards, internet banking details and the SIM cards linked to these accounts,” a CCU statement said. </p>.Online fraud alert: This new e-challan scam could empty your bank accounts in minutes.<p>On March 11, cyber command investigators learnt that Vakeel and Raja were travelling to Goa to hand over the bank account kits to the other suspects. </p>.<p>Investigators tracked their location and nabbed all five suspects. </p>.<p>“During the inquiry, it was confirmed that the suspects had lured innocent stuents with false promises, to open bank accounts to misuse them for cyber fraud, and subsequently collected all their account-related information,” the CCU said. </p>.<p>From the suspects, officials recovered eight bank kits (comprising passbooks, ATM cards, linked SIM cards and internet banking usernames and passwords) and 11 mobile phones. </p>.<p>“The investigation has revealed that the suspects have opened several more such accounts. Further investigative procedures are still pending, as well as tracing and taking appropriate legal action against three more absconding suspects involved in the next tier of this crime,” the CCU said. </p>.<p>The investigations were overseen by Pronab Mohanty, DGP (Cyber Command), Karnataka. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Continuing its efforts to crack down on mule account networks, officials from Karnataka’s <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/cyber-crime">Cyber Crime</a> Unit (CCU) have arrested five people who allegedly lured students with the promise of scholarships, to open bank accounts for use in cybercrimes. </p>.<p>The arrested individuals are Raja, 23, Vakdoth Vakeel, 24, both farmers from Vijayanagar district; Zeeshan Ansari, 22, a hotel worker from Jharkhand; Akash, 32, a DJ from Chhattisgarh; and Sahil, 22, a student from <br>Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh). </p>.<p>Investigations revealed that Vakeel and Raju approached the students of the post matric professional boys’ hostel located on Kalasapur Road in Gadag. </p>.<p>“By gaining their trust through false promises of scholarship money and other inducements, they convinced the students to open bank accounts in their respective names at the Bank of Maharashtra in Gadag. The accused themselves provided the initial deposit of Rs 2,000/- for each account. After the accounts were opened, the accused deceitfully collected the passbooks, ATM cards, internet banking details and the SIM cards linked to these accounts,” a CCU statement said. </p>.Online fraud alert: This new e-challan scam could empty your bank accounts in minutes.<p>On March 11, cyber command investigators learnt that Vakeel and Raja were travelling to Goa to hand over the bank account kits to the other suspects. </p>.<p>Investigators tracked their location and nabbed all five suspects. </p>.<p>“During the inquiry, it was confirmed that the suspects had lured innocent stuents with false promises, to open bank accounts to misuse them for cyber fraud, and subsequently collected all their account-related information,” the CCU said. </p>.<p>From the suspects, officials recovered eight bank kits (comprising passbooks, ATM cards, linked SIM cards and internet banking usernames and passwords) and 11 mobile phones. </p>.<p>“The investigation has revealed that the suspects have opened several more such accounts. Further investigative procedures are still pending, as well as tracing and taking appropriate legal action against three more absconding suspects involved in the next tier of this crime,” the CCU said. </p>.<p>The investigations were overseen by Pronab Mohanty, DGP (Cyber Command), Karnataka. </p>
