Two arrested for aiding cyber fraud through bank account misuse in Mangaluru

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Mar 25 (PTI) Two men from Belagavi were arrested for allegedly aiding cyber fraud using bank accounts of financially vulnerable individuals, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Avinash Sutar (28) and Anoop Karekar (42), reportedly collaborated with cybercriminals from North India via Telegram, providing them with bank accounts in exchange for a commission, they added.

The incident came to light during an investigation by the district's Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police following a complaint from a resident of Puttur, they said.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Yathish N told the PTI that the accused allegedly lured individuals into opening bank accounts in exchange for small sums of money and collected their account details under the pretext of online business.

Cybercriminals then use these accounts to extort money from wealthy individuals by threatening them with fabricated money laundering charges through video calls, he said.

According to him, one such victim, Radhakrishna Nayak from Puttur, transferred Rs 40 lakh via RTGS after receiving a threatening video call.

However, suspecting foul play, he later approached the police.

Investigations traced the transaction to a bank account in Belagavi, leading to the arrest of Sutar and Karekar.

Police officials revealed that the duo’s operations were linked to Jamtara in Jharkhand, a known hub for cyber fraud.

The investigation also uncovered that several individuals had sold their bank accounts to fraudsters.

Further investigations are underway. PTI CORR AMP SSK ROH

Source: PTI