Cyber Crime Branch nabs 4 in multi-lakh online fraud case
   Date :02-Jan-2025

Cyber Crime Branch nab
 
Staff Reporter :
 
The Cyber Crime Branch of Bhopal arrested four individuals involved in a fraudulent scheme that swindled nearly Rs 7 lakh under the pretext of halting pensions and updating life certificates in bank accounts. The accused were operating from Sakti district in Chhattisgarh, and had been using a methodical approach to deceive victims. According to information, the fraudsters posed as officials from the Treasury, convincing victims that their pensions had been halted. They then offered to help update the life certificate at the bank to resolve the issue. After gaining the victims’ trust, they tricked them into transferring money to bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
 
The accused also sold these bank accounts to cyber criminals, allowing them to use them for fraudulent transactions. The accused included bank account holders who were paid commissions for opening accounts and selling them to the fraudsters. The accounts were then used for transferring money, which was eventually withdrawn via ATMs. In the past 20 days, nearly Rs 50 lakh was transacted using these accounts. The Bhopal Cyber Crime Branch team took swift action based on the victim’s complaint, which was filed after a fraud of Rs 6,95,100 took place. The investigation revealed that the bank accounts used in the crime were registered to the accused individuals: Durgesh Kumar Tandon, Karan Sonwane, and Rahul Sonwane. The accounts were sold to a middleman, Vishwanath Khunte (also known as Bablu), who facilitated the fraudulent transactions. On December 30, 2024, the Cyber Crime Branch arrested the main accused, including Durgesh Kumar Tandon, Karan Sonwane, Rahul Sonwane, and the middleman Vishwanath Khunte from Sakti district, Chhattisgarh. Three Android mobile phones were also seized from the accused. Further charges under sections 201 and 120(B) of the IPC have been added to the case.