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Hyderabad: Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with a major cybercrime and hawala scam that has been unearthed at the RBL Bank’s branch in Karimnagar, where fake accounts were found to have been opened to divert funds through seven mule accounts, to perform transactions amounting to Rs 137 crore for Chinese nationals.
Among the 13 people arrested were seven employees of RBL Bank, including the Kisan Nagar branch manager.
Karimnagar Police Commissioner Ghouse Alam revealed that diploma, degree, and engineering students were also among the accused in the case, and an inquiry has been initiated against two more RBL Bank employees.
He stated that an individual named Bandari Sairam conspired with Chinese nationals to perpetrate these frauds, collecting 2 percent commission on every transaction made.
Ghose Alam noted that the perpetrators exploited innocent people, including the educated and illiterate, to carry out these cybercrimes. He added that intermediaries used certain individuals to provide access to their bank accounts by luring them with the promise of paying them money.
He advised the public to immediately report any instance of cybercrime to the helpline number 1930.
The police has been advising bank account holders to exercise extreme caution when engaging in digital transactions. They have been warning that conducting transactions involving accounts belonging to strangers could lead to legal complications and potential involvement in criminal cases.
This post was last modified on March 27, 2026 10:30 pm