The cybercrime police station in Rae Bareli has registered a case against four individuals, including three alleged members of an inter-state cyber fraud syndicate, for operating mule bank accounts used to channel proceeds from online scams. Investigators have discovered that the gang lured financially vulnerable individuals into opening bank accounts in exchange for commissions, then used those accounts to receive and transfer fraud proceeds.
Details of the Case
The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged based on a complaint from Sub-Inspector Prashant Kumar. The accused have been identified as Ramashankar, a resident of Barwa Ghorha Bhuwalpur Sisni village in Rae Bareli; Satyendra Kumar Verma of Surat Rural district, Gujarat; Pushpendra Singh of Kanpur Dehat; and Amit Singh of Jhunsi, Prayagraj.
The case came to light during an examination of suspected mule accounts flagged through the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) portal. During verification, investigators found that lakhs of rupees linked to cyber fraud had been routed through a bank account opened in Rae Bareli.
How the Scam Operated
Police found that Ramashankar, facing financial difficulties, met Satyendra Verma, an acquaintance who allegedly introduced himself as a chartered accountant. Satyendra reportedly convinced Ramashankar that large companies seeking to save on Goods and Services Tax (GST) would transfer money through a bank account opened in his name, and he would receive a commission on every transaction.
Police said Satyendra later connected Ramashankar with Pushpendra Singh. Acting on their advice, Ramashankar registered a firm and opened a current account in a private bank in Rae Bareli on March 17.
Financial Trail
Police investigations revealed that between April 2 and April 3, approximately Rs 3 lakh was deposited into the account. In return, Ramashankar allegedly received Rs 8,000 as commission, while the remaining amount was withdrawn and diverted by members of the syndicate. Further scrutiny showed that nearly Rs 8 lakh linked to cyber fraud had been routed through multiple accounts associated with the network.
Superintendent of Police, Rae Bareli, Ravi Kumar, stated that a case has been registered at Dih police station and special teams have been formed to trace and arrest the accused.
