34 Credit Cards, 24 Cheque Books, 77 SIM Cards, 200 Bank Accounts: Big Cyber Fraud Operation Cracked In Bhopal

Bhopal (The Uttam Hindu): A major scam has been busted in Bhopal, where a gang was found selling bank accounts to cyber fraudsters. The mastermind behind the operation, Rahul Srivastava, a seventh-grade dropout, was arrested along with his live-in partner. The fraud was uncovered when bank officials became suspicious of Rahul’s behavior at the bank, where he appeared in torn clothing and attempted to close his account.

The police in Bhopal’s Kolar area discovered that Rahul, operating with his partner, had been running a network that targeted vulnerable laborers. The gang fraudulently acquired Aadhaar and PAN cards, as well as Gumasta licenses, from these individuals under the pretense of offering help. Using these stolen identities, the gang opened bank accounts, which they then sold to cybercriminals across the country. Authorities recovered a large amount of equipment and funds during the investigation, including three card swipe machines, six mobile phones, 34 credit and debit cards, 20 cheques, 24 chequebooks, six passbooks, 77 SIM cards, two diaries, 12 ATMs, one laptop, two Wi-Fi routers, and Rs 8 lakh in cash.

The police became aware of the scam when they received an email from the Mandakini, Kolar Road branch of Bank of Maharashtra on December 19. The email stated that Rahul Srivastava had visited the branch to close his account, which had seen transactions totaling Rs 3 crore over the past few months. The bank alerted the police, who then investigated the matter. Rahul, who resides in Chinar 7 Mile, Borda, Kolar Road, admitted to selling two of his bank accounts for Rs 45,000 to Ghanshyam Singrole from Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh. One of these accounts belonged to Rahul, and the other to his wife.

Rahul also revealed that Ghanshyam had introduced him to Nikita Prajapati and Nitesh Prajapati, a couple living in the Baghsewania area of Bhopal. The couple was found to be involved in fraudulently opening and selling hundreds of bank accounts by exploiting the personal documents of laborers and disadvantaged individuals. The police filed an FIR and arrested the accused individuals, including Rahul, his wife, and the live-in couple. Additional DCP Malkit Singh stated that based on the investigation, it was confirmed that Rahul had sold accounts and received commissions in return. This successful bust, part of a larger effort to combat cyber fraud, has shed light on an extensive scam in Bhopal.