<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cyber Command has launched a major operation to dismantle mule account networks in the state and target organised cybercrime rings. </p>.<p>Investigators have identified 42,000 mule accounts used to launder the proceeds of cybercrimes and arrested 13 suspects, so far, following raids in 29 districts. </p>.<p>The arrested are Dharmapal, Suhail Pasha, Aqueel Pasha, Mohammed Muzammil, Patel Jitendra Kumar, Mohan Kumar, Juned Pasha, Majeed Madini, Shaheed Alam Khan, Chandrashekar, Ramkiran and Sharathkumar. </p>.<p>As many as 17 FIRs were registered and 25 ATM cards, 13 cheque books, 12 mobile phones and other items were seized. </p>.Who hiked Namma Metro fare in Bengaluru? Congress says Centre did, BJP says Karnataka govt asked for it.<p>The raids were held between February 5 and 6 by officers of the respective Cybercrime Police Stations spread across the state. </p>.<p>Mule accounts are nothing but bank accounts used as mules to launder money gained by cybercriminals by cheating people.</p>.<p>Some popular modus operandi include digital arrest and investment scam, otherwise known as pig butchering. </p>.<p>These mule accounts help scamsters layer the crime proceeds, launder them and in some cases, the money is physically withdrawn or converted to crypto currency and handed over to kingpins outside the country. </p>.<p>The raids on such a large scale were launched for the first time since the state government constituted the Cyber Command Centre (CCC) last year. It is headed by director general of police (DGP) Pronab Mohanty. </p>.<p>“So far, the raids were limited to only specific cybercrime cases. This time, it is aimed at targeting mule account herders and dismantling the whole network. These herders are behind this large network. They are aggregators of mule accounts: they create mule accounts, hoard them or keep them with themselves and either sell them or rent them out to cybercrimals as and when required for a fee or a commission. The cybercrimals contact these herders and based on their requirement, purchase or rent the mule accounts,” a well-placed source told DH.</p>.<p>Investigations have revealed these mule accounts are advertised extensively on Telegram social media and instant messaging service. Once the contact is initiated, the accounts are exchanged based on the agreed upon sum. </p>.<p>“These suspects lure gullible people and use their KYC details to open the bank accounts to be used as mules. In some cases, it has been found that some have voluntarily given their accounts to be used as mules for a fee ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000,” a senior source said. </p>.<p>Through sustained investigations, the network and herders were identified and raids were launched. “The raids were based on the modus operandi of the herders identified during the course of the investigation. The profiles of the arrested suspects are yet to be determined and it is part of the investigation,” the sources said. </p>.<p>Senior sources added that this will be a sustained effort with continuous raids to dismantle the networks. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cyber Command has launched a major operation to dismantle mule account networks in the state and target organised cybercrime rings. </p>.<p>Investigators have identified 42,000 mule accounts used to launder the proceeds of cybercrimes and arrested 13 suspects, so far, following raids in 29 districts. </p>.<p>The arrested are Dharmapal, Suhail Pasha, Aqueel Pasha, Mohammed Muzammil, Patel Jitendra Kumar, Mohan Kumar, Juned Pasha, Majeed Madini, Shaheed Alam Khan, Chandrashekar, Ramkiran and Sharathkumar. </p>.<p>As many as 17 FIRs were registered and 25 ATM cards, 13 cheque books, 12 mobile phones and other items were seized. </p>.Who hiked Namma Metro fare in Bengaluru? Congress says Centre did, BJP says Karnataka govt asked for it.<p>The raids were held between February 5 and 6 by officers of the respective Cybercrime Police Stations spread across the state. </p>.<p>Mule accounts are nothing but bank accounts used as mules to launder money gained by cybercriminals by cheating people.</p>.<p>Some popular modus operandi include digital arrest and investment scam, otherwise known as pig butchering. </p>.<p>These mule accounts help scamsters layer the crime proceeds, launder them and in some cases, the money is physically withdrawn or converted to crypto currency and handed over to kingpins outside the country. </p>.<p>The raids on such a large scale were launched for the first time since the state government constituted the Cyber Command Centre (CCC) last year. It is headed by director general of police (DGP) Pronab Mohanty. </p>.<p>“So far, the raids were limited to only specific cybercrime cases. This time, it is aimed at targeting mule account herders and dismantling the whole network. These herders are behind this large network. They are aggregators of mule accounts: they create mule accounts, hoard them or keep them with themselves and either sell them or rent them out to cybercrimals as and when required for a fee or a commission. The cybercrimals contact these herders and based on their requirement, purchase or rent the mule accounts,” a well-placed source told DH.</p>.<p>Investigations have revealed these mule accounts are advertised extensively on Telegram social media and instant messaging service. Once the contact is initiated, the accounts are exchanged based on the agreed upon sum. </p>.<p>“These suspects lure gullible people and use their KYC details to open the bank accounts to be used as mules. In some cases, it has been found that some have voluntarily given their accounts to be used as mules for a fee ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000,” a senior source said. </p>.<p>Through sustained investigations, the network and herders were identified and raids were launched. “The raids were based on the modus operandi of the herders identified during the course of the investigation. The profiles of the arrested suspects are yet to be determined and it is part of the investigation,” the sources said. </p>.<p>Senior sources added that this will be a sustained effort with continuous raids to dismantle the networks. </p>