Assam: Cyber Crime Ring Exposed in Guwahati; Two Men Arrested for Supplying Fraudulent Bank Accounts to Hackers

GUWAHATI: In a major breakthrough, the cybercrime branch in Guwahati has busted an elitist operation whereby small business owners were exploited to keep a web of cybercrime running. The arrest of two persons on Friday brought to light a bigger nexus supplying fraudulent bank accounts to cybercrooks who were operating with near impunity.

The two individuals involved in this operation, namely Babu Das and Anvesh Chand, were arrested by the cyber cell of the Guwahati Crime Branch from different parts of the city, namely Uzan Bazar and Beltola. Their arrest came at a crucial point in an ongoing investigation into the network that has been silently helping cybercriminals in their illicit activities.

According to officials, the two had resorted to a very shrewd modus operandi for building up confidence among small traders in Guwahati. Once unsuspecting entrepreneurs parted with sensitive details, the duo managed to get bank accounts opened in their names, without their knowledge. These "ghost accounts" were then sold to cyber criminals and hackers, who found in them a perfect cover for illicit transactions.

These accounts were bought by criminals for use as some form of virtual haven where the stolen funds could be parked, largely from those victims of online fraud. The anonymity that came with these proxy accounts made it practically impossible for the authorities to trace the source of this stolen money back to its original perpetrators, allowing the criminals to get away scot-free and continue their activities.

Outside the police station, they were confronted by mediapersons, but neither Babu Das nor Anvesh Chand uttered a word. But their arrest brought out a Pandora's box with some possible leads, and the police would hint that more arrests may follow as they dig deeper into the operations of this criminal network.

The resultant effect of this was that it sent shockwaves across the small business community in Guwahati, whereby many are now questioning the security related to their personal and business information. The police have urged business owners to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity relating to their financial accounts.

As the investigation unfolds, this is a grim reminder of increased threats of cybercrime, and the extent to which criminals will go to manipulate system weak points. Authorities now try to unbundle the whole extent of this operation: bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring that such incidents will not happen in the future.

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