Uncle-niece duo arrested in Rs 1 Cr cyber fraud case in Odisha's Berhampur

Berhampur Cyber Police arrested a man and his niece in connection with an alleged cyber fraud case involving around Rs 1 crore. 

The duo was accused of facilitating financial fraud through mule bank accounts that were reportedly used by cyber criminals to transfer and route illegally obtained money.

The arrested accused have been identified as Satya Narayan Das and his niece. 

Police said the duo was taken into custody following an investigation into suspicious transactions linked to multiple cyber fraud complaints.

Mule Accounts Used in Fraud

According to reports, the bank accounts associated with the accused were used in cyber fraud cases registered at more than 30 police stations across over 10 districts in India. 

Cyber criminals allegedly used these accounts to carry out fraudulent transactions amounting to over Rs 1 crore.

Investigators said the accused had opened several bank accounts in the names of their relatives and later handed them over to cyber criminals. These accounts functioned as mule accounts, which are typically used to move or conceal money obtained through illegal online activities.

Accounts Opened in Relatives’ Names

Police said the accused had opened eight bank accounts in the names of their relatives. The accounts were then used to receive and transfer money obtained by cheating people from various states across the country.

Authorities believe that victims from different parts of India were targeted through online fraud schemes, after which the stolen money was routed through these accounts.

Investigation Underway

Preliminary investigation revealed that more than Rs 1 crore was fraudulently transacted through these accounts over the past year. 

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Police are continuing their investigation to trace other individuals involved in the cyber fraud network and to identify additional victims connected to the transactions, sources said.