Gadag, Karnataka: Police have arrested five individuals in a cyber fraud case targeting students, where hostel residents were lured with fake scholarship promises and their bank accounts were misused for illegal transactions.
According to authorities, the accused approached students staying at a boys’ hostel and offered help in securing scholarships. They persuaded students to open bank accounts in their names at local banks. To make the scheme appear genuine, the accused deposited Rs2,000 into each account.
After the accounts were opened, the fraudsters allegedly collected passbooks, ATM cards, SIM cards, and internet banking credentials from the students, intending to use the accounts for cyber fraud.
Based on intelligence about the racket, police registered a case on March 11, 2026, and began investigating. They learned the accused were traveling to Goa to hand over the bank kits and account credentials to other network members. Acting on this information, police tracked and arrested five suspects.
The arrested individuals include:
Vakdoth Vakeel (24) – Vijayanagara district
Raja (23) – Vijayanagara district
Zeeshan Ansari alias Zeesu (22) – Jharkhand
Akash (32) – DJ artist, Chhattisgarh
Sahil (22) – Student, Chhattisgarh
Police also seized 11 mobile phones and eight bank kits containing passbooks, ATM cards, SIM cards, and internet banking credentials linked to accounts opened in Gadag and Haveri districts.
Authorities have warned students and parents to remain cautious of offers that require sharing personal banking information.
