Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police identified nearly 5,000 such mule accounts last year alone (ETV Bharat)
Hyderabad: What appears to be a harmless request for financial help is fast emerging as a serious cybercrime threat. A seemingly polite appeal, “Brother, I’ll transfer money to your account… please don’t refuse,” is now being used by fraudsters to trap unsuspecting individuals into illegal money-laundering operations.
The disturbing pattern has come to light during investigations conducted under the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau’s ‘Operation Crackdown’.
Officials say cybercrime syndicates are increasingly depending on “mule accounts” — bank accounts operated by individuals who knowingly or unknowingly allow criminals to route stolen money through them.
Recent investigations by the Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police identified nearly 5,000 such mule accounts last year alone, with many more suspected to be active.
A detailed examination of 1,888 suspicious accounts revealed the scale of the menace: 782 cybercrime transactions linked within Telangana, 9,431 cybercrime cases connected across India and in one alarming case, a single bank account in Sultan Bazaar was tied to 496 complaints. Additionally, 298 bank accounts across Suryapet district were flagged for suspicious financial activity.
How the trap works
Investigators say the scam often begins with emotional manipulation. Fraud agents target people, facing financial stress, and convince them to share bank account details or open new accounts in their name.
In return, victims are promised commissions. These agents are often recruited through social media and messaging platforms like Telegram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Each recruited mule account can fetch agents commissions of up to ₹1 lakh. In a shocking revelation, even insiders have been found complicit.
Authorities have traced many of these operations to international cybercrime syndicates operating from countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. These networks: Funnel stolen money through mule accounts, layer transactions to obscure the trail, withdraw funds in cash, convert proceeds into cryptocurrency and transfer funds overseas.
This multilayered laundering process makes tracking the money extremely difficult.
Insider complicity exposed
Investigators also uncovered insider involvement. In one case, a bank manager allegedly facilitated the opening of 30 mule accounts and earned ₹30 lakh in commissions, exposing serious vulnerabilities within the financial system.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sai Manohar issued a strong advisory: “Do not fall for such offers. Allowing your account to be used in these transactions can land you in serious legal trouble, including imprisonment.”
Authorities have urged citizens to: Never share bank account details, refuse suspicious money-transfer requests, avoid opening accounts on behalf of strangers, report unusual financial activity immediately and even seemingly genuine requests can be part of organised cybercrime operations.
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