Cyber Fraud Racket Busted in Sambalpur; 9 Arrested, ₹50 Lakh Traced Through Mule Accounts

Sambalpur: In a major breakthrough against cybercrime, Sambalpur police have busted a large-scale fraud racket and arrested nine persons, including the mastermind, for operating multiple mule bank accounts used for fraudulent transactions worth several lakhs of rupees.

The main accused, Anil Kumar Mandal (37), a resident of Jamtara in Jharkhand — a hotspot for phishing and online scams — had reportedly opened 35 mule bank accounts across different banks. Investigations revealed that around ₹50 lakh had been credited to 15 of these accounts.

Police said Mandal lured several individuals from Sambalpur to open bank accounts in their names by promising them easy money — offering up to ₹5,000 as commission per transaction. Once the accounts were activated, he collected their passbooks, ATM cards, and PIN numbers to execute fraudulent transactions.

During the raid, police seized 22 ATM cards, five SIM cards, two cheque books, multiple mobile phones, and Aadhaar cards from Mandal’s possession. Some of the Aadhaar cards carried Mandal’s photograph with different contact numbers, confirming the use of forged identities to run the operation.

Based on credible intelligence, police apprehended Mandal near Ainthapali bus stand on September 21. He was produced before court and taken on three-day police remand, during which he disclosed the names of 16 other account holders allegedly linked to the racket.

“The main accused opened several mule accounts using forged documents and targeted people in Sambalpur by offering them commissions. Initially, they were paid ₹5,000 to open accounts, and later received commission on large-scale transactions, some amounting to over a crore,” said Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and intensified efforts to trace and arrest all others involved in the network.