Pimpri Chinchwad police’s cyber wing has arrested two individuals accused of operating “mule accounts” used to launder money extorted from victims. The arrests were made on Monday in Ahilyanagar district, in connection with a case where a 47-year-old Pune resident lost a staggering Rs 53 lakh.
The arrested duo, identified as Akash Pathare (28), a farmer, and Avinash Tungar (27), who works at a finance company, both residents of Bolhegaon in Ahilyanagar district, allegedly allowed their bank accounts to be used as conduits for illicit funds. According to police, stolen money was funneled into these accounts, after which Pathare and Tungar would withdraw the cash and hand it over to their handlers.
“Their handler is also from the same village, but is currently based in Pune. Our investigations show the handler had created at least 20 mule accounts in this village. The details of these accounts were handed over to fraudsters based out of Maharashtra,” stated Assistant Inspector Pravin Swami of the Pimpri Chinchwad cyber police.
The investigation began following a complaint from a Moshi resident who, on April 2, received a threatening “letter” via a messaging app. The message falsely claimed his bank account was involved in money laundering and that he faced imminent arrest. A police official detailed the scam’s modus operandi, explaining, “The person at the other end told the Moshi resident he was an ‘officer’ with the Mumbai crime branch. He told the victim the cops and the bank needed to verify his bank account through a money transfer. The victim was even told the bank would return the money to him immediately after verification.” Believing the elaborate deception, the Moshi resident transferred Rs 53 lakh into three different bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.
Senior Inspector Ravikiran Nale of Pimpri Chinchwad cyber police confirmed the investigative steps that led to the arrests. “During our investigation, we found Rs 5.4 lakh of the money was transferred to a private bank’s account. So we took the details of this account holder from the bank and found that it was in Ahilyanagar district. We arrested Pathare who revealed three more names. We then arrested Tungar. A search is on for the two others,” Nale said.
Authorities continue to warn the public about the increasing sophistication of cyber frauds, urging vigilance against unsolicited calls or messages, particularly those demanding money under threats of legal action or promising easy financial gains. Citizens are advised to report any suspicious activity immediately to the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in).
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