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Patna Cyber Fraud: Villagers Lured with Schemes, Hit with Lakhs in Loans
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News18•26-09-2026, 10:48
Patna Cyber Fraud: Villagers Lured with Schemes, Hit with Lakhs in Loans
- •A major cyber fraud exposed in Patna, Bihar, where hundreds of bank accounts were opened in villagers' names under the guise of government schemes.
- •Villagers were promised benefits like free grain and toilet construction money, but their accounts were used as 'mule accounts' for cybercrime transactions.
- •Police investigation revealed approximately 500 bank accounts were used, with transactions exceeding 5 crore rupees; some villagers found themselves burdened with lakhs in loans.
- •A woman, Sita Kumari, has been arrested, and based on her information, police recovered mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks, ATM cards, and checkbooks, including items from a Mukhiya's house.
- •Police are investigating the role of banks in opening these accounts without proper verification and are searching for other members of the cybercrime network.
Key Questions Answered
Police investigation revealed that about 500 bank accounts were opened and used as mule accounts to carry out cyber fraud in the rural areas of Patna.
Cybercriminals set up camps in villages, luring residents by promising government scheme benefits, free grain, toilet construction money, and other facilities.
According to a report on September 25, the Bihar Police identified 3,177 suspicious mule accounts in the state, verifying 762 of them during their special campaign.
