A disturbing trend of cybercrime has emerged in Lucknow, where local youths are being lured into enabling a sophisticated global fraud network through “mule accounts.” These bank accounts, often belonging to young men and women employed in restaurants, small shops, or as college students, are used to launder illicit funds from cybercrimes, with proceeds converted into cryptocurrency and transferred abroad, according to investigations by the Lucknow Police’s Crime Branch and Cyber Cell.

The case of Ajay, a 24-year-old restaurant waiter from Old Lucknow, illustrates the issue. Enticed by a crypto trader’s offer of Rs 20,000 for a single day’s use of his bank account, Ajay agreed, only to see lakhs of rupees flow through his account and withdrawn under external instructions. Weeks later, police revealed his account was linked to an international cyber fraud scheme. Now assisting authorities as an approver, Ajay is helping uncover a network connecting neighborhoods like Chowk, Indira Nagar, Vrindavan Yojna, and Sushant Golf City to handlers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Investigations over the past three months reveal dozens of mule accounts in Lucknow used to launder funds from online investment scams, fake job schemes, sextortion, and fraudulent trading platforms. Operations are coordinated via encrypted Telegram channels, often in Chinese, by foreign handlers or proxies using forged documents to bypass Know-Your-Customer protocols. Account holders are escorted to banks to withdraw large sums via NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS, which are then converted into USDT (Tether) cryptocurrency through unregulated peer-to-peer networks on the TRC-20 blockchain, frequently via platforms like Binance. In the last two months, police tracked transactions ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 5 crore, all vanishing into offshore digital wallets.

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The concentration of mule accounts in areas like Chowk, Madiyaon, Malihabad, Bakshi Ka Talab, Sushant Golf City, and Mohanlalganj has raised alarms. Around 60 young men have been detained for questioning, with many expressing regret for underestimating the legal risks. “These young people aren’t hardened criminals, but their actions enable large-scale fraud,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Lucknow South) Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar. The trend also connects to global cyber slavery rackets in Southeast Asia, where Indians are trafficked or lured with fake job offers to work in scam factories, feeding proceeds back into these networks.

The sophistication of these operations, using encrypted communication and decentralized wallets, complicates detection. The Uttar Pradesh Police, in collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), are implementing a joint action plan. Following a meeting on August 6, 2025, chaired by DGP Rajeev Krishna, officials agreed to establish a dedicated Cyber Crime Centre, create a specialized unit for crimes against women and children, and deploy tech-savvy personnel to fraud hotspots.

A video conference on August 8 directed all 75 district police chiefs to staff cyber cells with trained officers, maximize use of the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, and complete CyTrain enrollment within 15 days. Public awareness campaigns are also being expanded to educate youths about the risks of renting out accounts.

Ajay, now aware of his error, warns others against similar schemes. “I thought it was just extra cash,” he told PTI. “Now I know it was crime—and I’m lucky I got a second chance.” As Lucknow emerges as a hub in this global cybercrime network, authorities are intensifying efforts to dismantle it and protect vulnerable youths from exploitation.

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