cybercrime in Uttar Pradesh

A troubling new cybercrime trend has emerged in Uttar Pradesh, where fraudsters are "renting" bank accounts from low-income villagers for large-scale financial scams. The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) reports that criminals, using platforms like Telegram, offer villagers a small commission—typically around 10% of each transaction—in exchange for access to their bank accounts and linked SIM cards.

cybercrime in Uttar Pradeshcybercrime in Uttar Pradesh

Unaware of the broader implications, rural victims receive modest payments for granting access. Fraudsters then utilize these accounts, complete with passbooks, debit cards, and OTP-capable SIMs, to receive illicit funds from activities such as phishing, fake task scams, and investment fraud.

Investigations reveal that criminal syndicates are actively recruiting multiple accounts, often advertising them openly on Telegram and Facebook. These "bank account kits" are treated like commodities for laundering money and obscuring the origins of criminal proceeds.

cybercrime in Uttar Pradeshcybercrime in Uttar Pradesh

Bank Accounts as Tools for Crime

Analysts warn that the ease of renting bank accounts poses a significant threat to national financial integrity. These "drop accounts" act as untraceable conduits for crimes ranging from phishing to identity theft. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has classified this issue as a national security concern.