B’luru: Rajasthan gang busted for job fraud cybercrime using student bank accounts

PTI, Nov 16, 2024, 9:39 AM IST

Bengaluru: Four members of a gang were arrested in Rajasthan for cheating people with fake job offers and engaging in cybercrime investment fraud using bank accounts opened in the names of college students, primarily from northern India, police said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Abhay Dhan Charan (19), Arvind Kumar (19), Pawan Bishnoi (18), and Sawai Singh (21), lured victims by promising part-time jobs at reputed companies, they added.

The arrests followed a complaint from a woman at CEN police station in Southeast Division, who was cheated of Rs 12,43,250 under the guise of securing her a part-time job. The money was deposited into a bank account held by a college student, which led authorities to uncover the gang’s operation.

During the investigation, police discovered that the gang opened bank accounts in the names of college students.

They took possession of the students’ passbooks, chequebooks, and other documents, using these accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions.

Using technical surveillance, the police tracked down the suspects and arrested them from Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

Seized items included 19 mobile phones, two laptops, 20 SIM cards, 34 bank passbooks, and Rs 75,000 in cash, a senior police officer said.

“The gang targeted North Indian students studying in Bengaluru, offering Rs 2,000 as an incentive for opening bank accounts. Unaware of the fraudulent activities, the students allowed their accounts to be used by the gang. The fraudsters used these accounts to target people seeking part-time jobs or investment schemes, instructing victims to transfer money into the students’ accounts,” he added.

The accused were in possession of the ATM cards, passbooks, and chequebooks of the bank accounts.

Once the money was deposited, the accused withdrew it and converted it into cryptocurrency, he said, adding, that further investigation is underway.