Mumbai: It sounded like an easy way to make some pocket money: apply for a part-time job, submit copies of Aadhaar and PAN cards, and start earning.But neither the job nor the salary ever came. Instead, five college students from Kalyan and Navi Mumbai found that the documents they had submitted for the job had allegedly been used to open 11 accounts in their names at a nationalised bank and around Rs 9 crore had been routed through them in just 15 days.Their complaint blew the lid off a pan-India racket. Police found at least 75 mule accounts had been opened using ID documents and biometrics of collegians from Mumbai, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai, with around Rs 50 crore in suspected cybercrime proceeds routed through them between January 10 and March 5.Sakinaka police have arrested the bank’s office boy Rupesh Thakur (38), bank’s business correspondent Yogesh Wadakar alias Patil (37), social media influencer Sahil Javed Captain (22), delivery worker Prasad Raikar (26), and Shivam Dhubey (23) between April 5 and May 3.According to the FIR registered at Sakinaka police station on March 25, Yash Paradkar (20), Anant Yadav (20), Abhishek Tiwari (21), Saksham Bhatt (19), and Hardeep Tiwari (21) had been introduced to Captain by fellow student Harshad Wankhede (20), who promised them part-time jobs.On January 5, Captain met them at Kurla railway station, helped them obtain new SIM cards, and took them to Patil’s agency in Safed Pool at Sakinaka to “open bank accounts to receive their pay”. Captain later introduced them to the other three accused.The job letters never arrived. Instead, police alleged, the students’ Aadhaar and PAN cards, photographs, and biometric thumb impressions were used to open mule accounts. Their signatures were allegedly forged on account-opening forms.Paradkar, a law student, grew suspicious a few weeks after they heard nothing about the jobs. He had seen social media warnings about youngsters being pulled into cybercrime through fake job offers. Worried that their documents, photographs, and biometrics could be misused, the five friends checked with banks for any new accounts in their names for a month. At the nationalised bank, they found 11 accounts, two of which had already been frozen following cybercrime complaints in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.The five were now worried that their names could surface in fraud cases. “We were scared that we could get arrested for a fraud we never committed,” Paradkar told TOI.They approached police in Ghatkopar, Kurla and V B Nagar several times, but their complaints did not initially lead to action. Paradkar eventually filed a written complaint at Sakinaka police station on March 25, with the help of a lawyer.In a 400-page chargesheet, police alleged that the 75 accounts were linked to 101 complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. Thakur was reportedly collecting banking kits without the students’ knowledge and couriering them to addresses in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan on instructions received through Telegram from the kingpin, who remains untraced.Wankhede, who had introduced the five students to Thakur, has been made a witness. Police said he had transferred Rs 1,000 each to the five students as an advance after being promised jobs.The arrests were made by a team supervised by DCP (West Zone-3) Datta Nalawade and comprising inspector Sanjay Kshirsagar, sub-inspectors Sagar Jadhav, Pravin Patil and their team. Police said three of the accused had fled after learning about the first arrests.Kshirsagar warned people against easy money offers and social media advertisements, and against sharing confidential details or one-time passwords.Cyber lawyer Prashant Mali said Aadhaar, PAN, photographs, signatures, OTPs and e-KYC authentication should be treated as “digital keys” to a person’s identity. Anyone who discovers that an account has been fraudulently opened in their name should immediately alert the bank, preserve evidence and report it to cybercrime authorities. “The appearance of a student’s name in a money trail does not by itself establish that the student is a cybercriminal. The investigation must establish who actually controlled and operated the account,” he said.Task or Job Fraud in MumbaiYear——–2023—-2024—-2025—-2026*Cases——-428——451——303——70Solved——-85——-99———71——11Arrest——-136—–104———75—–17(Till: *July 31) Source: Mumbai PoliceJob fraud cases in MaharashtraYear————-2023————2024————2025————TotalCases————803————–959————–512————2274Solved————145————–168————–71————384Arrest————-225————-197————–75 ————497Money lost——-Rs 85.6cr——-Rs 128.8cr——–Rs 64.1cr—–Rs 278.5crMoney Saved—-Rs 7.1cr———Rs 2.6cr———–Rs 2.1cr——-Rs 11.8crSource: Maha Cyber CellAdvisory* Never share your PAN and Aadhaar details with unverified individuals, random apps, or on public platforms to prevent identity theft and financial fraud* Criminals use stolen PAN or Aadhaar data to take out unauthorized loans or credit cards in your name, which ruins your credit score* Fraudsters use your credentials to open fake bank accounts or buy unauthorized mobile SIM cards for illegal activities* Use the official mAadhaar app to lock your Aadhaar data and biometrics when not in use* Regularly check your credit score and bank statements for unfamiliar loans or accounts* Never disclose sensitive details such as OTP, Aadhaar, PAN, or bank credentials over phone calls* Government agencies and banks never ask for such information over callsHow task or job fraud operate IndiaTask and job frauds in India operate through structured psychological manipulation and fake digital platforms, commonly tricking victims with “like and earn” or work-from-home offers sent via WhatsApp or TelegramHow the Scam OperatesThe Hook: Scammers send unsolicited text messages or ads promising high daily pay for simple tasks like liking YouTube videos, rating hotels, or reviewing productsBuilding Trust: Victims complete a tiny initial task and receive a small cash reward (Rs50 or Rs100) directly in their UPI account to prove the job is realThe Trap (Prepaid Tasks): Victims are added to Telegram or WhatsApp groups with fake participants showing large profit screenshots. The scammers ask victims to “recharge” their accounts with their own money to unlock higher-paying “VIP” tasksThe Extortion Loop: When a victim tries to withdraw their accumulated “earnings,” the dashboard blocks the transaction. Scammers claim there is a technical error, a tax penalty, or a mismatched account ID, demanding more money (GST or processing fees) to release the funds. No amount ever unlocks the withdrawalCommon Red FlagsPay to Work: Genuine employers never ask candidates to pay registration fees, training charges, security deposits, or kit feesUnrealistic Pay: Offers promise thousands of rupees for just a few minutes of effortless work dailyNo Formal Interview: Selection happens instantly via chat apps without a professional video or in-person interviewPersonal Data Harvesting: Scammers ask for sensitive documents like PAN cards, Aadhaar, or bank details before any official onboarding takes placeWhat to Do If You Are ScammedFreeze the Funds Immediately: Call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 or log on to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal within the golden hour to block transactions and freeze the recipient’s bank accountPreserve Evidence: Take screenshots of the chat logs, transaction IDs (UTR), UPI handles, and Telegram profiles before blocking the fraudstersStop Payments: Do not send any more money, regardless of promises that a final deposit will unlock your stuck funds
