From OLX deals to fake CBI calls: How Jaipur police tracked a Rs 18.6-crore cyber fraud network

Jaipur South police arrested 21 people and uncovered an alleged cyber-fraud network connected to 101 complaints. The complaints involved alleged fraud worth Rs 18.6 crore. The investigation focused on mule bank accounts, fake KYC documents, impersonation and other methods used to move or obtain money. It mattered because the cases appeared connected across states rather than being isolated incidents.

Police registered 15 cases during a special campaign. They examined cheque books and passbooks recovered from the accused and found complaint links on the national cybercrime reporting system. Investigators also recovered mobile phones, cards, identity documents and cash. These materials helped connect account holders, transactions and suspected fraud methods.

DCP Jaipur South Rajarshi Raj said officers were identifying people who facilitated financial fraud and tracing the money trail. Police found Rs 45.83 lakh in bank accounts and put Rs 8.84 crore linked to cyber fraud on hold during the period. The investigation formed part of Rajasthan’s Cyber Shield campaign.

The alleged network was large in both value and reach. Police linked it to fraud worth Rs 18.6 crore across 101 complaints registered in different states. They arrested 21 people and registered 15 cases under a campaign targeting cyber fraud and mule accounts. The figures show a network extending beyond one city or one method.

The article names victims or transactions linked to Odisha and Karnataka, while describing the complaints as spread across different states. It does not state the exact number of states involved. Police also found 101 complaints on the national cybercrime reporting system while examining cheque books and passbooks recovered from the accused.

The financial picture included Rs 45.83 lakh found in bank accounts and Rs 2.04 lakh recovered in cash. Police seized phones, vehicles, cheque books, passbooks, cards and false identity documents. These records helped investigators connect people, accounts and alleged transactions across jurisdictions.

A mule bank account is a bank account allegedly used to receive and transfer money obtained through fraud. In this case, police focused on accounts that helped move suspected cyber-fraud proceeds. The account holder may not be the person who deceived the victim, which can separate the visible transaction from the alleged organiser.

Investigators said some people were persuaded to open accounts for a commission. The accounts were then allegedly sold to cybercriminals for Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 each. Police said those accounts were used to route money from online fraud, including transactions linked to victims in Odisha and Karnataka.

This arrangement can make tracing more difficult because money first enters an account held by another person. Police therefore examined account records, cheque books and passbooks, and traced the money trail. The case shows why account holders and facilitators can become important links in a wider investigation, even when they did not directly contact victims.

The accused allegedly used different stories to create trust, urgency or fear. Fake OLX car listings attracted people with unusually low prices. Fake social-media pages offered products or services. Impersonating government officials, especially CBI officers, added pressure by making victims fear arrest and transfer money quickly.

Police also identified a fake Facebook page offering 3D idols. Victims were allegedly cheated after paying advances. In another method, fraudsters allegedly used fake KYC documents and PAN cards to open suspicious bank accounts in different states. These accounts could then help receive or route money from online fraud.

The methods worked through a common mechanism: deception led victims to pay, while false identities or documents supported the movement of funds. Investigators recovered fake PAN and Aadhaar cards belonging to 15 other people. They also examined phones, passbooks, cheque books and cards to connect online approaches with bank transactions.

Tracing bank transfers helps investigators reconstruct where money went after a victim paid. Account numbers, transfer records and account-holder details can connect separate complaints. Cheque books and passbooks may also reveal the accounts used, transaction patterns and people who controlled or supplied them. This matters when the person receiving money is not the person who deceived the victim.

In Jaipur, police examined cheque books and passbooks recovered from the accused. That examination revealed 101 complaints on the national cybercrime reporting system, involving alleged fraud of Rs 18.6 crore. Investigators also found Rs 45.83 lakh in bank accounts and identified accounts linked to victims in Odisha and Karnataka.

Following these links can widen an investigation from one payment to a network of account holders and facilitators. Police said their focus was identifying those enabling financial fraud and tracing the money trail. The case also shows how records can support notices, account holds and coordination between police forces in different states.

When stolen money moves through accounts opened or sold by other people, victims can face delayed recovery and uncertainty about where their money went. The account holder may be only an intermediary, while the alleged fraudster remains elsewhere. This creates more steps for investigators and financial institutions to examine before funds can be stopped or returned.

Police said some people opened accounts for commissions and allegedly sold them to cybercriminals for Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000. The accounts were then allegedly used to route money from online fraud. The article links some transactions to victims in Odisha and Karnataka, showing how one account can connect activity across states.

The wider financial system must respond by identifying suspicious flows and protecting legitimate account holders. Jaipur police said Rs 8.84 crore linked to cyber fraud was put on hold during the period. Under Operation Vajra Prahar 2.0, Rs 1.77 crore was recovered and refunded to complainants, but tracing remains central to recovery.

Identity checks such as KYC, PAN and Aadhaar help banks establish who is opening an account. Accurate records make it harder to use false names or documents and give investigators a starting point when suspicious transactions appear. They also help distinguish a genuine account holder from an account allegedly created or supplied for criminal use.

The Jaipur investigation found alleged use of fake KYC documents and PAN cards to open suspicious bank accounts in different states. Police also recovered fake PAN and Aadhaar cards belonging to 15 other people. These documents allegedly supported the movement of money obtained through online fraud and made the network harder to identify quickly.

The article does not describe specific bank verification procedures or failures. It shows, however, that weak or false identity information can expand a fraud network across jurisdictions. Strong checks, careful account monitoring and cooperation with police can help connect accounts to the people who opened, controlled or supplied them.