In a shocking case of cyber fraud targeting students, the police in Karnataka's Gadag have arrested five persons who allegedly lured hostel students with promises of scholarships and used their bank accounts for cyber scams.
According to police, the accused approached students staying at a boys' hostel and gained their trust by promising assistance in securing scholarship benefits.
They persuaded the students to open bank accounts in their names at a bank in the city.
To make the offer appear genuine, the accused deposited Rs 2,000 as the initial amount in each account. After the accounts were opened, they allegedly collected the passbooks, ATM cards, and SIM cards linked to the accounts and internet banking details from the students.
Police said the accounts were then intended to be used for carrying out cyber fraud transactions.
Based on information about the racket, the police registered a case on March 11 and began an investigation.
They received inputs that the accused were travelling to Goa to hand over the bank kits and account credentials to other members of the network. Acting on the information, a police team tracked the suspects and arrested five individuals involved in the fraud.
Those arrested include Vakdoth Vakeel (24) and Raja (23) from the Vijayanagara district; Zeeshan Ansari, alias Zeesu (22), from Jharkhand; Akash (32), a DJ artist; and Sahil (22), a student, both from Chhattisgarh.
Police seized 11 mobile phones and eight bank kits consisting of passbooks, ATM cards, SIM cards and internet banking credentials linked to accounts opened in Gadag and Haveri districts.
Investigators suspect the accused may have opened several more such accounts using unsuspecting individuals.
Police are now working to trace three more accused believed to be part of the larger cyber fraud network.
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