101 Arrested Across 6 States Over Alleged Mule Accounts Linked to Rs 17 Crore Cyber Fraud:

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested 101 people for allegedly allowing fraudsters to use their bank accounts to carry out cyber fraud. The arrests were made during a two-week operation across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The accused include 18 women. Police have traced fraudulent transactions worth around Rs 17 crore and found links to 1,171 cybercrime cases across India.

Of the 101 arrested, 19 are accused of acting as agents who arranged bank accounts for fraudsters, while 81 allegedly allowed their accounts to be used as "mule accounts." The arrests are connected to 51 cases registered at seven cybercrime police stations. Police said 50 of the accused are linked to more than five cybercrime cases each. Mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks and cheque books were also seized.

The accused come from different backgrounds. An employee of Tata Capital allegedly worked as an agent and arranged bank accounts for fraudsters in return for a commission. A Flipkart employee, who is a graduate, allegedly allowed his bank account to be used for illegal transactions and is linked to 50 cases across the country.

Other accused include a businessman with an MCom degree, who is linked to 34 cases, and a person with a Diploma in Film Technology, who is linked to 26 cases. An MBA graduate working as the marketing head of Manju Group of Companies is linked to 15 cases. An ex-serviceman is linked to six cases.

Police also found that bank accounts belonging to NGO trusts were allegedly misused to receive and transfer money obtained through cybercrime. These accounts have been linked to around 60 cases across India.

"Mule accounts" are bank accounts that fraudsters use to receive money stolen from victims. According to investigators, agents and middlemen arranged these accounts and paid the account holders commissions of up to 5% of the money passing through their accounts.

The fraud money was allegedly moved through ATM withdrawals, large bank transfers and transactions connected to overseas accounts. This made it more difficult for investigators to track the money.

The TGCSB has been focusing on mule accounts for several months. In February this year, the bureau launched "Operation Crackdown." At that time, suspected mule accounts were linked to 782 cybercrime cases in Telangana and 9,431 cases across India.

In October last year, the bureau arrested 81 people, including seven women, in another operation across several states. According to a PTI report, investigators traced fraud worth Rs 95 crore in that case. The accused were also allegedly paid commissions of up to 5%.

The TGCSB said its investigation is still going on and may reveal more links to cybercrime networks in India and other countries. Police have advised people to be careful of fake trading platforms, task-based job or income schemes, and "digital arrest" scams. People can report cybercrime by calling the 1930 helpline or through the national cybercrime reporting portal.