KOCHI: Cambodia-based cyber crime syndicates are increasingly targeting talented but jobless youngsters from Kerala, recruiting them for fraudulent operations with the help of Keralites already working in the syndicate and luring them with promises of huge earnings.
The trend came to light after the cyber wing of Kochi city police recently arrested a Keralite who had arrived from Cambodia and allegedly attempted to recruit youngsters.
Investigators are now examining whether the suspect had earlier sent youths from the state to these cyber crime centres. Police sources said the arrest points to an organised attempt by overseas gangs to establish recruitment links in Kerala. Last month, Kochi police arrested three Keralites for allegedly cheating a young doctor in the city through a matrimonial site.
The investigation revealed that the fraud was linked to cyber gangs operating from Cambodia that target victims through fake profiles, online investment schemes, and other scams.
“They target educated but unemployed youngsters and promise them huge money if they agree to work with the syndicate for two or three years. Many are lured by the prospect of quick earnings and agree to join the cyber fraud operations,” an intelligence officer monitoring the operations said.
According to officials, recruits are often assigned targets to cheat victims through scams such as digital arrest frauds, fake investment platforms and other digital financial traps. Those who fail to meet targets or attempt to leave the network are reportedly threatened and intimidated.
Police have also found that cyber gangs frequently use bank accounts provided by local youngsters to route money obtained through scams. In one recent case, Kochi police arrested a youth in his 20s who had rented out his bank account for a small payment.
Investigators later found that illegal transactions worth crores of rupees had been routed through that account. “Many youngsters give away their bank accounts for quick money without realising the seriousness of the offence. Once these cyber criminals gain access, they change the passwords and operate the accounts themselves. When the transactions are traced, the account holder becomes the accused,” a senior police officer said.
The officer warned that many youths who sold or rented their bank accounts for a few thousand rupees are now finding themselves in serious legal trouble. “Several youngsters who allowed their accounts to be used for cyber crimes have now entered the police list of habitual offenders. This can seriously affect their future prospects, including opportunities for government jobs and other employment,” the officer added.
In recent operations, the cyber wing of Kochi city police booked around 10 persons for renting out their bank accounts to cyber criminals, while the rural police in Ernakulam district caught another 16 persons involved in similar activities.
Meanwhile, information obtained from the arrested suspect has also led investigators to suspected financial hubs that help cyber gangs convert money obtained through fraud into cryptocurrency and distribute it across hundreds of bank accounts. Kochi police recently busted one such suspected hub and seized more than 20 mobile phones believed to have been used for transferring funds.
“Once the money is received, the gangs carrying out the fraud contact cyber hubs that help process the funds. These hubs take a commission and convert the money into cryptocurrency before distributing it across multiple bank accounts,” an officer said.
Officials said cyber gangs based in Cambodia use specialised software developed in China and Taiwan to conduct scams such as digital arrest frauds and fake online investment schemes.