Jharsuguda Police dismantled a multi-State cyber fraud operation on Tuesday, apprehending 12 individuals, including two minors, during “Operation Netra.” Authorities confiscated 61 bank passbooks, 41 ATM cards, 90 mobile phones with SIM cards, a car, and a scooter purportedly utilized in the scams. The perpetrators allegedly exploited ‘mule’ bank accounts belonging to unsuspecting individuals to facilitate money transfers, with their network reaching across Western Odisha into Bihar and Rajasthan. They targeted local residents, predominantly students and daily wage workers, luring them with offers of easy cash or gambling winnings, persuading them to open bank accounts and provide their banking information, including passbooks, ATM cards, and internet banking details.
Account holders were promised Rs 15,000 for opening a mule account, receiving Rs 5,000 while the intermediary kept the rest. These accounts were used to embezzle around Rs 16.4 lakh. The investigation traced the financial flow back to Jamtara (Jharkhand), a notorious hub for cybercrime. The operation affected multiple districts in Western Odisha, such as Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sonepur, and Sundargarh. Police have urged the public to remain cautious about such scams and refrain from sharing banking information with strangers in exchange for money, as it can lead to fraudulent situations.