Hyderabad: Cybercrime Police have arrested four people for allegedly providing mule bank accounts and SIM cards to cybercriminals in exchange for commissions of up to ₹10,000 per account.Police have identified around 20 mule accounts linked to 54 cases nationwide involving suspected fraudulent transactions worth approximately ₹10 crore.The arrests followed an investigation into an online investment scam in which a woman allegedly lost ₹37.4 lakh after being lured into investing through trading platforms promoted on WhatsApp.₹10,000 offered for each bank accountAccording to police, the main accused, Panduraju Abhishek, 26, an interior designer working in the private sector, came into contact with a Chinese national through WhatsApp while facing financial difficulties.The Chinese national allegedly offered him commissions for arranging mule bank accounts and SIM cards to transfer money obtained through cyber fraud.Abhishek allegedly approached three others — Maroju Subrahmanya Chari alias Bannu, 25, Gedela Nani, 28, and Alamanda Manikantha, 20 — to procure the accounts and SIM cards. They were allegedly promised ₹10,000 for each bank account provided.Accused allegedly earned 4% commissionPolice said Abhishek allegedly used the collected bank details and SIM cards to transfer cybercrime proceeds to other mule accounts allegedly controlled by the Chinese national.In return, he reportedly received a commission of four per cent on the transferred amount and withdrew the money through nearby ATMs.Woman loses ₹37.4 lakh in WhatsApp scamThe case originated from a complaint filed by a woman on April 4, 2026. She told police that unidentified persons had contacted her through WhatsApp and promised high returns on investments in trading platforms.Believing their claims, she invested money and allegedly lost ₹37.4 lakh.Based on her complaint, police registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and Sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(3) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Nine mobile phones, 10 bank cards seizedPolice seized the following items from Abhishek during the operation:Nine mobile phones10 debit and credit cardsSix bank passbooksEight cheque booksThree arrested in Bhimavaram, one inHyderabadA police team led by Inspector Y. Gauru Naidu arrested Chari, Nani and Manikantha in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. Abhishek was subsequently detained in Hyderabad’s Pocharam area and brought to the Cybercrime Police Station for further investigation.The operation was conducted under the guidance of DCP S. Chaitanya Kumar and the supervision of ACP R. G. Shiva Maruthi. Senior officers commended Inspector Y. Gauru Naidu and Team-1 for their efforts in arresting the accused.
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