Cyber fraud: 2 bank officials among 5 held in Rourkela; 30 Aadhaar and 10 PAN cards seized

Rourkela police have arrested five members of an online fraud gang operating with a new modus operandi that targeted poor and vulnerable individuals. According to sources, the gang was found opening bank accounts in the names of economically weaker sections and conducting transactions involving lakhs of rupees.

Among the arrested suspects, two have been identified as bank employees who allegedly facilitated the scam. During the investigation, police recovered 30 Aadhaar cards, 10 PAN cards, 17 passbooks, along with a car and a bike from the accused, sources said.

Also Read | Odisha STF launches statewide crackdown on inter-state drug syndicate

“The accused were opening bank accounts and depositing funds obtained through various cyber crimes. The cyber fraudsters were using these bank accounts to keep the money safe. Later, these accused used to withdraw the money and send it to the fraudsters,” said Brijesh Rai, Western range DIG.

“This is a very organised crime. The accused used to get identity proof and SIM cards of targeted individuals to open the bank accounts. Later, they used to sell these accounts in six to seven states for cyber crimes. As per official statistics, around 800 fake accounts are operational in Rourkela,” said Nitesh Wadhwani, Rourkela SP.