Bihar police flag over 1 lakh mule bank accounts for fraud
The Cyber Prahar 5.0 campaign has identified 1,09,475 suspected accounts holding a combined balance of Rs 72.53 crore.
Bihar Police has identified 1,09,475 suspected mule bank accounts across 38 districts as part of the new Cyber Prahar 5.0 campaign, according to reports by The Times of India and India Today. These accounts, which hold a total of Rs 72.53 crore, are being targeted for legal action as they are believed to be used by cybercrime syndicates to launder money.
Inspector General of Police (Cyber Crime and Security Unit) Ranjit Kumar Mishra stated at a press conference in Patna on Friday that Patna has the most suspicious accounts with 14,644. Other districts with high counts include Gaya with 6,172, Muzaffarpur with 4,244, Bhagalpur with 4,197, and Nalanda with 4,146.
During September and October, the state recorded 47,659 cybercrime complaints involving Rs 121.26 crore in fraudulent transactions. Police and banking interventions successfully placed Rs 36.94 crore on hold, with Rs 8.04 crore already returned to victims. The state's freezing rate of 30.46 per cent was higher than the national average of 28.35 per cent.
To improve response, 278 police personnel received specialised training and a new cyber police station will be established in Patna district. Public awareness initiatives include printing fraud helpline information on 20 lakh Sudha milk packets daily and broadcasting jingles on FM radio.
A statewide hackathon involving 153 teams is currently being held to find tech-driven solutions for cybercrime, with the final results expected on November 28.