Man arrested for operating fake bank accounts used in cyber frauds
Vadodara: Cybercrime investigators arrested Mahendra Meghwal, a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, on Sunday for his alleged role in opening and operating
fake bank accounts
used by
cyber fraud
gangs to siphon money from victims.
According to police, Meghwal specialized in creating and managing fraudulent bank accounts which he then sold to cybercriminal groups. Authorities launched the investigation after a victim filed a complaint regarding a cyber fraud incident that occurred a few months ago.
The victim reported that he received a threatening call from fraudsters who claimed his Aadhaar card was involved in money laundering. The scammers said that the Delhi Cybercrime Cell would contact him soon.
Subsequently, the victim was called by another gang member who falsely claimed to have received Rs 1 lakh along with a commission through a money laundering racket.
The fraudsters pressured the victim through a video call, demanding his bank account and investment details, threatening arrest if he did not comply. The victim was extorted for Rs 23 lakh before filing a complaint, which prompted the police to trace the bank accounts where the money was transferred, eventually leading to Meghwal's arrest.
Cybercrime inspector BN Patel said, "Meghwal, who has studied only up to class 8, developed expertise in opening fake bank accounts. He used identity documents of people from his town and also took properties on rent temporarily, using rental agreements to open multiple bank accounts."
Patel added, "While Meghwal operated some accounts himself to withdraw funds, he handed over the control of other accounts to cyber fraud gangs." During the investigation, police recovered several property rental agreements from Meghwal. It was revealed that he intended to rent some shops in the city to further facilitate the opening of fraudulent bank accounts. "We have contacted the shop owners to warn them about this fraudulent activity," Patel said.
Police are also verifying Meghwal's Aadhaar card, which lists a Vadodara address.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Pollachi North BDO to file case against former panchayat president for embezzlement
The collector has also directed the AD to collect Rs 6.53 lakh from the former panchayat president, as Ponnusamy did not carry out check dam construction works at the groves of two residents Nagaraj and Nithyananthan in the panchayat, sources added. Ponnusamy also released a daily wage of Rs 1.07 lakh to workers, while purchasing raw materials worth Rs 4.50 lakh by creating fake documents. The collector's order mentions that the amount was handed over to a vendor named Nataraj, but he has repaid Rs 2.09 lakh to the government. "It is the duty of the panchayat president to get approval for work being carried out under the MGNREGS during gram sabha meetings and subsequently, get administrative sanction from the district collector. The president should also maintain a proper register related to workers' attendance and release of wages. However, the explanation given by Ponnusamy after misappropriation is not acceptable," said the collector's order further said.
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
Tribal family ostracised for not serving ‘handia' during last rites feast
Baripada: A tribal couple and their three children have allegedly been ostracised by the villagers for not serving 'handia' (traditional rice beer) during the last rites feast held after the death of a 67-year-old man of the family in Mayurbhanj district, police said on Monday. It is a practice in various tribal societies to serve 'handia' to people attending the feast organised as part of the last rites. It is alleged that the villagers are not allowing the family members to take water from village ponds or tubewells or purchase groceries from shops. Following a complaint lodged by the deceased man's son, a police team went to their village and asked the villagers to sort out the matter within two days or face legal action. Ram Soren of Kesapada village under Sarat police station limit died on March 27 and the members of the Santhal community observed the rituals according to tradition. Soren's son Sangram organised a community feast a month later as per tradition on April 27. However, he did not serve 'handia' in the feast to the villagers following which he, his wife Lachha and their children have allegedly been socially boycotted. In a complaint lodged at Sarat police station, Sangram and his wife charged the villagers with denying them access to water from ponds or tubewells, and even to village grocery shops. 'This is not all, the villagers also do not speak to us including my children. We are not even given work by the villagers making our life miserable,' Sangram's wife Lachha Soren told reporters. The couple has three children - a 13-year-old daughter and two sons aged 8 and 5 years. She claimed that a person spoke to them and they have been asked to pay a penalty of Rs 2,000 for violating the community's social boycott order. Asked about the reason behind not going by the tradition of serving liquor at the feast, Sangram said, 'My father was a habitual alcoholic for which he died early. We have seen tribal families getting ruined due to alcoholism. Therefore, I decided not to serve 'handia' in the feast.' Sangram, in his police complaint, named three village seniors for ostracising his family. When contacted, a priest of the Santhal community said, 'We have the tradition of offering 'handia' to the departed soul during funeral rituals. But there is no religious norm to serve it to people in the community feast. It all depends on the economic condition of the deceased person's family. They may serve 'handia' if they desire, but they cannot be forced.' 'Handia' is a traditional alcoholic rice beer popular among tribal communities in Eastern and North-Eastern India, particularly in states like Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Meanwhile, a team, headed by Sarat police station in-charge Ramakanta Patra, visited the village and discussed the matter with the villagers. 'We held a long discussion with the villagers and told them that they cannot socially ostracise any family for any reason. The police have given them two days to resolve the matter amicably,' Patra told reporters. If the matter is not resolved within the community members at the village level, the police might have to take legal action, Patra said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Wife in hospital, payment stuck': Driver claims to have lost 4-day income in cruel hospital scam
In the digital age, scams are getting smarter—and often prey on the very instincts that make us human: empathy, urgency, and trust. One young Rapido captain recently learned this the hard way after falling victim to a meticulously crafted scam involving a fake emergency at a hospital. What seemed like a generous, high-paying ride near an army hospital quickly turned into a heartbreaking loss of four days' worth of hard-earned income. Now, his post on Reddit is sparking widespread discussion on how vulnerable gig workers are becoming in these emotionally manipulative cons. The captain shared his ordeal, explaining that he received a booking near CH (Army Hospital) and immediately accepted it. Soon after, the passenger called him with an emotional story—his wife was inside the hospital and needed to be dropped off at the railway station. The passenger claimed he was paying Rs 4,200 and asked the captain to keep his share and transfer the remaining amount to his wife's ID, since the payment couldn't be made directly from his own account. A Rs 4,000 transaction soon appeared in the driver's account, which seemed legitimate at first glance. Trusting the caller, the Rapido captain followed the next instruction—to forward the amount to a QR code shared on WhatsApp, with the assumption that the payment had been routed to his account for transfer. The moment he did that, the scammer said he would be sending more money . That's when the captain grew suspicious and disconnected the call. But by then, it was too late. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kulkas yang belum Terjual dengan Harga Termurah (Lihat harga) Cari Sekarang Undo Only later did he realise that the Rs 4,000 in his account had not come from the passenger—it was money sent the previous day by a friend. The scam had worked because he didn't double-check the timestamp of the payment. 'I was scammed, despite being smart and educated,' he wrote in frustration. 'My earnings of 4–5 days vanished in a minute because of a little ignorance.' Netizens react The incident struck a chord online, with many users relating to the experience. One user shared that a Rapido driver they knew had faced the exact same scam involving the same hospital and storyline, and despite filing a police report, not much progress was made. But others came forward with advice and next steps. A comment outlined a clear action plan: -Register a complaint at with all transaction details. -Contact the bank and initiate a chargeback request. Share the cybercrime complaint as proof. -Visit the local police station when the online complaint gets assigned and get an FIR filed. Share that with your bank to strengthen your claim.
