In a recent cybercrime case, the police in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district have arrested two men from Belagavi for misusing bank accounts belonging to poor people. These accounts were allegedly handed over to cybercriminals who used them for online fraud. The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Avinash Sutar (28)
- Anoop Karekar (42)
The duo’s illegal activities were uncovered during an investigation by the Cyber Crime police (CEN) in Dakshina Kannada.
How the Scam Worked
According to the police, Sutar and Karekar targeted people who were struggling financially. They convinced these individuals to open bank accounts by offering them small amounts of money. Once the accounts were opened, the accused collected the account details, pretending they were for legitimate online business purposes. However, instead of using the accounts legally, they sold the details to cybercriminals.
These fraudsters used the bank accounts to carry out online scams, including blackmailing wealthy people. One common tactic involved making fake video calls, during which they would accuse victims of money laundering and threaten them with fake digital arrests unless they transferred large sums of money.
How the Police Caught the Accused
The case came to light when Radhakrishna Nayak, a resident of Puttur, reported the scam to the police. Nayak had received a threatening video call from cybercriminals, who accused him of being involved in illegal activities. Panicked by the threats, he transferred Rs 40 lakh to the scammers via RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement).
Later, Nayak grew suspicious and decided to approach the police. During their investigation, the police traced the money to a bank account in Belagavi, which led them to Sutar and Karekar.
Links to Jamtara Cybercrime Gang
Further investigation revealed that the accused were working closely with cybercriminals from Jamtara, Jharkhand, a notorious hub for online fraud. The duo had been supplying bank accounts to these scammers through Telegram in exchange for commissions.
The police also discovered that many individuals had been selling their bank accounts to similar fraudsters, contributing to the growing problem of cyber scams in India.
