Bengaluru woman coerced into opening mule accounts for cyber crime

A 21-year-old employee of a private firm was allegedly lured into opening multiple bank accounts for cybercrime transactions by three men from Uttar Pradesh who had reportedly taken nearly ₹7 lakh from her by promising online work.

According to a complaint registered at the East CEN Crime Police Station, the woman said she came across an online link about two years ago while browsing social media. After clicking on it, she was contacted by unknown persons who promised to provide her with an online account and work opportunities. They allegedly collected around ₹7 lakh from her through online transfer to various bank accounts as processing fees and other charges.

When the promised online work failed to materialise, she demanded her money back. The accused allegedly told her that the amount had been invested in a share market platform, and assured her that she could instead earn a monthly salary of ₹40,000 if she followed their instructions.

As part of the arrangement, the accused allegedly directed her to open four to five bank accounts, which they began using. After opening the accounts, she called the men to Bengaluru and, along with her family members, demanded the return of her money. The accused allegedly came to the city, collected documents related to the bank accounts, and later visited her residence, where a confrontation ensued over the refund.

The woman identified the men as Mukesh Kumar, Indrajit and Chandan Kumar, all said to be from Uttar Pradesh. She alleged that the trio cheated her of ₹7 lakh, and misused the bank accounts she had opened at their behest, effectively turning them into mule accounts for financial transactions.

Based on her complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.