Rajasthan’s law enforcement has struck a decisive blow to cyber fraudsters with the busting of a multi-crore scam operation in Jhalawar. Bhavani Mandi police apprehended three notorious operatives from an inter-state gang that orchestrated nationwide digital heists using mule bank accounts.
The fraudsters’ modus operandi was chillingly efficient: they enticed ordinary citizens with lucrative deals to either create new bank accounts or sell their existing ones. These ‘mule accounts’ funneled illicit gains from online cons, with money rapidly siphoned off through ATMs in diverse locations to dodge tracking by authorities.
A thorough search yielded damning evidence, including dozens of ATM cards, chequebooks, passbooks, SIM cards, a fraud-dedicated laptop, and substantial cash reserves. Forensic links tied these assets to cyber offenses spanning multiple states, highlighting the gang’s expansive reach.
SP Amit Kumar, addressing the media, identified the culprits as Lalit Rana, Ajay Vishwakarma, and Rajesh Kumar, all hailing from Bhavani Mandi. ‘By buying or coercing accounts from locals, they built a shadowy empire of deceit,’ he explained. The seizure list boasts 53 ATM cards, 35 chequebooks, and more, painting a picture of industrial-scale criminality.
As questioning intensifies, police are piecing together the syndicate’s hierarchy and potential interstate connections. This operation not only recovers assets but also disrupts a key fraud pipeline, bolstering public trust in digital banking security. Experts call for heightened awareness to prevent such scams from resurfacing.
