Man Arrested in Pune for Creating Fake Bank Accounts Used in Cyber Frauds

Cybercrime investigators have arrested a man named Mahendra Meghwal from Pune, Maharashtra, for allegedly opening and operating fake bank accounts used by cybercriminals to cheat people.

Police said Meghwal, who studied only up to class 8, had become skilled in creating fake bank accounts using identity documents of people from his hometown. He also took properties on rent temporarily and used those rental agreements to open multiple bank accounts.

The investigation began after a victim filed a complaint a few months ago. The victim said he received a threatening call from fraudsters who claimed his Aadhaar card was linked to money laundering. The caller warned that the Delhi Cybercrime Cell would contact him soon.

Soon after, another person from the gang called the victim and falsely claimed he had received Rs 1 lakh in his account through illegal means. The scammers then made a video call to the victim and forced him to share his bank and investment details. They threatened to have him arrested if he did not cooperate.

The victim ended up losing Rs 23 lakh and later reported the matter to the police. Investigators tracked the bank accounts where the money was sent and eventually arrested Meghwal.

Cybercrime inspector BN Patel said Meghwal had opened several fake bank accounts and sold some of them to fraud gangs. He also used some accounts himself to withdraw money. Police found multiple rental agreements in his possession and said he had plans to rent more shops in the city to open additional fake accounts.

“We have contacted the owners of those shops to alert them about this fraud,” Inspector Patel said.

Police are also checking Meghwal's Aadhaar card, which mentions an address in Vadodara, Gujarat. Investigations are ongoing.