The cyber crime police station of Chandigarh police has busted a network involved in large-scale cyber fraud by misusing mule bank accounts, arresting nine accused under a special drive titled “Operation Mule Hunt.”
The accused were allegedly part of an organised racket that allowed their bank accounts to be used for routing, layering and withdrawing proceeds of cyber frauds, including digital arrest scams, part-time job frauds and online financial deceptions reported across multiple states.
How the racket came to light
The investigation was initiated after inputs were received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union ministry of home affairs. Analysis of complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) revealed that several bank accounts operating within Chandigarh’s jurisdiction were repeatedly appearing in fraud cases registered in other states.
Further scrutiny established that these accounts were being used as mule accounts — accounts opened or shared by individuals who allow fraudsters to move illegal funds in return for commission — enabling illegal transfers, cheque withdrawals and conversion of money into cryptocurrency
Eight accused were arrested, mostly youths from Chandigarh and adjoining areas. Accused Ritik, 22; Rythem, 20, of Mauli Jagran, and Akash, 25, of Mohali allegedly allowed their bank accounts to be used for receiving fraudulent funds. During questioning, Ritik admitted that money received in his account was converted into cryptocurrency via Binance before being transferred further, while Akash claimed he was paid ₹10,000 for permitting use of his account
Mohamad Danish, 22, Charandas, 20, and Archi, 25, were found operating multiple accounts used for layer-wise transfer of disputed amounts. All three allegedly admitted to knowingly permitting use of their accounts in exchange for commission, a common modus operandi in mule account frauds.
Mohd Toshik, 26, and Dilpreet Singh, 21, were arrested for allowing their accounts to be used for receiving and withdrawing large sums through cheques within Chandigarh. Police said both admitted receiving commission for facilitating the transactions.
Investigators found that ₹8.78 lakh was routed through accused Ankit, 23, account and withdrawn via cheques. The accused allegedly admitted to acting as a mule account holder for commission
Be wary of ‘part-time’ job offers, ‘easy money’ schemes
Chandigarh police cautioned that permitting the use of personal bank accounts — even without directly committing the fraud — attracts serious criminal liability under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and cyber laws.
Issuing a public advisory, police urged citizens not to share bank account details, ATM cards, cheque books, UPI access, OTPs or online banking credentials with anyone. They warned against offers involving part-time jobs, crypto transactions, work-from-home schemes or “easy money” proposals that require routing funds through personal accounts
Parents and guardians were specifically advised to educate young adults and students, who are frequently targeted by cyber fraudsters. In case of suspicious credits, citizens were asked to immediately inform their bank and police and report incidents on www.cybercrime.gov.in or via helpline 1930.
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