Chennai: Class 12 dropout turned digital arrest scamster held, his bank accounts feature in 135 complaints
The accused has been operating mule bank accounts in the names of his family members and friends over the past few months, police said
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CHENNAI: On the digital trail of the Rs 38 lakh lost by a woman who fell victim to the ‘Digital Arrest’ scam, the Avadi city police arrested a resident of Anna Nagar whose bank accounts are involved in over 100 cyber crime complaints.
The accused Bijoy Yathindradas operated 13 bank accounts for transactions from gullible victims, and the bank accounts feature in 135 cases registered with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, police said.
The victim, a resident of Veppanchavadi, got a phone call in July from the scammers claiming to be officials from central investigation agencies. They told her that a sim card registered in her name was being used for illegal transactions and that they needed to check the source of the money in her bank account. They extorted Rs 38.16 lakh from her.
After realising she was duped, the woman filed a complaint with Avadi city police who formed special teams to trace the culprits. Police found that Rs 5 lakh from the victim's account was transferred to a bank account belonging to the accused.
Further probe revealed that the accused is a high school dropout and has been operating mule bank accounts in the names of his family members and friends over the past few months and the accounts operated by him were registered in 135 complaints in the NCRP.
Apart from digital arrest scams, these accounts were also used to launder money scammed from people through other cyber crimes.
Nine debit cards, two passbooks, nine cheque books, a laptop, and mobile phone was seized from the accused. He was produced before a magistrate and has been remanded in judicial custody.
