Cybercrime crackdown in India targets digital arrest scams and mule accounts

Cybercrime activities involving digital arrest scams and the use of mule accounts are being targeted by police in India. In Meerut, a man was defrauded of 6 lakh rupees after criminals posing as police officers threatened him with imprisonment in a ‘digital arrest’ tactic. Over the first seven months of the year, approximately 900 people in Meerut fell victim to cyber fraud, resulting in losses exceeding 2 crore rupees. However, local police have successfully recovered 1.9 crore rupees for 365 victims and blocked over 1,300 mobile numbers and 2,100 IMEI numbers.

In Rajsamand, authorities dismantled a cyber fraud network after discovering 14 complaints linked to specific bank accounts via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Police arrested three individuals, including two mule account holders and one cyber criminal. The investigation revealed that the primary suspect recruited local residents to use their bank accounts in exchange for small incentives, such as 2,000 rupees, to facilitate the withdrawal of stolen funds via ATMs. Authorities seized nine checkbooks, 12 passbooks, and 14 debit cards during the operation.