The bank accounts used for cybercrimes are called fake bank accounts (Mule Accounts).
These accounts are used to hide money obtained through fraud, to receive money through fraud, and to transfer fraudulent money from one bank account to another.
“Okay... so what’s the big deal now?” you may ask. The Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police conducted a 48-hour operation on the 6th and 7th. It was a state-wide special action against fake bank account holders.

So, through this operation, 837 cyber criminals linked to fraudulent transactions worth nearly Rs. 545.27 crore across Tamil Nadu have been arrested.
How was this operation carried out?
The details of the offenders were first extracted from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the Pratibimb Portal of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Next, by analyzing the financial transaction data of cybercrime networks and checking the flow of money in bank accounts, the details of the offenders were confirmed.
Following this, arrests were made.
What all has been seized?
During the investigation for this operation, 204 mobile phones, 185 SIM cards, 4 laptop/desktop computers, 1 pen drive/storage device, Rs. 1,02,000 in cash, 114 bank passbooks, 29 cheque books, 73 ATM/debit cards, 1 credit card, and 2 other electronic devices have been seized across Tamil Nadu.

For further investigation, 155 mobile phone numbers and 58 bank account details have also been identified.
How do we stay alert?
We should not casually brush off these scams as something that happened to someone else. Anyone who owns an Android or Apple mobile phone is an easy target for these scams.
So we...
Keep personal information such as passwords, OTPs, and bank account details safe.
Everyone should be aware of frauds.
Be cautious about fake websites and social media accounts.
Be alert about investment scams and 'digital arrest' scams.
Do not lend your bank account to anyone for commission.
Do not download apps from any apps or websites other than official apps.
Only make secure online transactions.
Beware of online gambling and gaming apps.
- These tips were shared by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police.
