Tamil Nadu cops go on ‘mule hunt’, arrest 837 account holders in two-day statewide drive

CHENNAI: Beset with rising number of cyber fraud complaints, most of which involve masterminds hiding in safe havens outside the country’s borders, the Tamil Nadu police have decided to focus on a critical link in the cybercrime ecosystem: mule account holders.

The police conducted a statewide drive on August 6 and 7, and arrested 837 persons who profited by renting out their accounts to fraudsters.

According to the State police headquarters, the operation targeted individuals linked to 9,804 National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) complaints involving fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs 545.27 crore.

The operation focused on identifying persons involved in opening, providing, operating, and facilitating the misuse of bank accounts for receiving and withdrawing proceeds of cyber fraud.

"Cyber criminals generally use mule bank accounts, opened in someone else's name, to move the money they defraud from public. The original account holder often ‘lends’ or ‘sells’ it to fraudsters for a commission. When a cybercriminal scams someone online, the victim's money is first transferred into a mule account.

From there it's quickly moved to multiple other accounts or withdrawn as cash. This makes it hard for police to trace back to the real offender," said an officer.

The large-scale operation was based on accused profiling through NCRP and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The profiling was further strengthened through bank fund-trail linkages established by financial data analysis of cybercrime networks.

During the operation, police stations across Tamil Nadu, under the supervision of the respective SPs and Commissioners, arrested 837 cyber criminals involved in 601 cases. The police also registered 157 new FIRs, said the police HQ.

During the operation, the police seized 204 mobile phones, 185 SIM cards, four laptops/desktops, Rs 1 lakh in cash, 114 bank passbooks, 29 cheque books, 73 ATM/debit cards, and a credit card. In addition, 155 mobile numbers and 58 bank account details were identified for further investigation and analysis.

The police will now analyse the seized digital evidence and interrogate the arrested individuals to uncover further layers of the criminal network and identify their associates operating across India.

"These arrests mark a significant achievement in disrupting and dismantling the organised cybercrime network operating across the State. The operation stands as one of the largest coordinated drives of its kind in India, striking at a critical component of the cybercrime ecosystem-the use of mule accounts for the receipt, layering, and movement of illicit funds," said the State police.

ADVISORY TO PUBLIC:

Protect personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive details like passwords, OTPs, or bank information

Never lend your bank account for commission: Do not share your bank account details with others for commission-based activities

Watch out for investment and digital arrest scams: Be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true or claims of urgent legal action

Do not share bank account details for monetary gain: Sharing or allowing the use of bank account details for monetary consideration, whether knowingly or unknowingly, may facilitate cybercrime and attract legal action

If you have fallen victim to cybercrimes, please dial 1930 for the toll-free assistance provided by Cyber Crime wing or register your complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in.