Man held for mule account in ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud
The city Cyber Crime Police have arrested a man for allegedly providing a mule bank account in a “digital arrest” cyber fraud case in which an elderly resident was cheated of ₹11 lakh.
Police said the accused was booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. He was produced before a court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
According to officials, unidentified persons contacted an 81-year-old retired Deputy Executive Engineer from Visakhapatnam, posing as government officials. By intimidating him and citing an alleged RBI audit verification, the fraudsters induced the victim to transfer Rs 11 lakh through RTGS.
During the investigation, police found that the amount was credited to a current account in the name of Radhika Enterprises at an ICICI Bank branch in Warangal district. The account holder, Kondle Rajashekar, allegedly allowed his bank account to be used as a mule account after being tempted by the promise of a high commission, thereby aiding the fraud.
Police have warned the public against calls claiming to be from agencies such as the CBI, ED, RBI or NSA, and cautioned people about so called “digital arrest” scams. Citizens were advised not to share bank account details, OTPs or debit card information with anyone.
Victims of cyber fraud can lodge complaints through the national cyber-crime reporting portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or by calling the toll-free helpline number 1930.