DoneHyderabad: As part of ‘Operation Crackdown 1.0′, aimed at targeting gangs opening mule accounts in Telangana and supplying them to cyber fraudsters, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) booked nine cases against 495 bank account holders and others on Friday. According to officials, these 495 bank accounts were linked to nearly 2,000 cyber fraud complaints received from across the country.Upon examining the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) data, the TGCSB found that 35 current accounts were opened in Mercantile Bank, Jubilee Hills, and were flagged in 876 cyber frauds. “We also noticed that 17 of the 35 account holders belong to other states, and the KYC details appear to have not been properly verified. This indicates that the bank authorities may have opened these accounts without following the required verification procedures and guidelines,” TGCSB personnel stated while registering the suo motu case against the account holders and others.Police also suspect that certain bank officials may have cooperated with the account holders in opening the current accounts for use in cyber fraud activities. “Under the connivance of the bank officials, a large number of current accounts were opened without proper adherence to mandatory guidelines,” said TGCSB personnel.A similar suo motu case was registered against 41 bank account holders of Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Madhapur branch, whose accounts were linked to 87 cyber fraud complaints. According to investigators, 29 of the 41 account holders belonged to other states, and their KYC details had not properly verified.Officials also booked 45 account holders of Kranthi Co-operative Bank in Hyderabad. Of these, two were current accounts, and 43 were savings accounts. The accounts were opened at the bank’s branches in Balanagar, Gajularamaram, Peerzadiguda, Seethaphal Mandi and Dammaiguda, and were linked to 275 cyber fraud complaints from across the country. The bureau also registered a case against 56 savings account holders of Bank of India’s Suryapet branch, as the accounts were linked to 367 cyber fraud complaints.The fifth case was registered against 44 account holders of Bhavana Rushi Cooperative Bank in Hyderabad. Accounts opened at the bank’s LB Nagar, Chaithanyapuri, Gaddiannaram, Boduppal, Gudimalkapur and Ramanthapur branches were linked to 341 cyber fraud complaints.The sixth case was booked against 32 bank account holders of Utkarsh Small Finance Bank’s SR Nagar branch, as their accounts were linked to 69 cyber fraud complaints. Three separate cases were also registered against 37 account holders of Indian Bank’s Kodad branch, linked to 140 cyber fraud complaints, 89 account holders of Central Bank of India’s Kodad branch, linked to 364 cyber fraud complaints, and 116 account holders of Bank of India’s Kodad branch, linked to 778 cyber fraud complaints. “Crores of rupees belonging to cyber fraud victims were routed through these accounts. We are trying to identify all the accused linked to the racket,” said a TGCSB official.
