Vizag cops arrest four for cyber fraud

Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam cyber crime police arrested four individuals on Friday for allegedly selling bank accounts for illegal transactions in Visakhapatnam.

The arrested have been identified as Bonda Venkata Siva Sai Krishna, Mudiki Yadesh Kumar, Sirra Pradeep Kumar, and Singamshetty Saibabu.

Visakhapatnam commissioner of police Shankabrata Bagchi, stated that the accused lured unemployed youth with promises of jobs and high salaries. They allegedly manipulated the victims’ Aadhaar cards, applied for PAN cards in their names without their knowledge, and registered them as directors of fictitious companies. Using these fabricated identities, the accused opened bank accounts, which were subsequently sold to cybercriminals for illicit activities.

Investigations revealed that approximately Rs 35 to Rs 40 crore has been transacted through these “mule” accounts, which were linked to cyber scams, including online cricket betting and hawala transactions. The police examined five corporate and current accounts provided by the accused and uncovered cybercrime complaints from 17 states in connection with these accounts.