Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It is a worrisome situation for Bhopal as college students are lending their bank accounts to cyber fraudsters for a mere sum of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000, which latter use to deposit money obtained through cyber crimes such as sextortion, UPI frauds, loan frauds etc. About seven people belonging to two gangs have been arrested in this connection.
According to police officials, 102 such cases have come to light in last two-and-a-half months in the city, where college students were contacted by cyber crooks to either lend them their bank accounts, or get new bank accounts opened in their name.
The cyber crime cell officials froze 50 bank accounts through which cyber crooks had been carrying out transactions. Sources said through these bank accounts, transactions worth several crores of rupees have been carried out.
Crooks convince youths them that their names will not be included in police records even if probe in is launched. Thus, they lure students by offering them Rs 4,000 to 5,000 a month. Desperate to make quick and easy bucks, the college students comply with the crooks.
They added that when a particular bank account comes under police scanner, fraudsters stop using the account and mount pressure on college students to open new bank account. If they refuse, crooks threaten them that their name will be disclosed when police launch investigation. Fearing police action, the students comply with what is told and get trapped in vicious cycle.
Using unverified apps
Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Shrutkirti Somwanshi said crooks contact college students through messaging applications, which do not require phone numbers for registration and thus their ID is unverified. They do so to evade police action in case the student/person whom they targeted is nabbed by the police, he added.
