Customs issues high alert as fraudsters pose as officials at Bengaluru airport
Bengaluru (PTI): The Customs department at the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday issued a high alert for the public after detecting a fraud racket in which impostors posing as Customs officials are cheating people and extorting money from them.
According to the Customs, fraudsters are targeting innocent citizens, particularly those from the economically weaker sections, by exploiting their fear and urgency through phone calls, social media and messaging platforms.
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The scammers falsely claim that a passenger arriving from abroad has been detained by Customs and demand immediate payment to “resolve” the issue.
Warning the public against falling prey to such tactics, the Customs commissioner said, “Customs officials never contact people via phone, WhatsApp, or social media to demand payments of fines or penalties. Moreover, we do not accept money into personal bank accounts. All official payments to the government are made only through authorised counters or online portals with proper receipts.”
Explaining the modus operandi, Customs officials said the fraudsters first befriend the victims online or through direct contact and later claim that a friend or relative has been stopped at the airport.
They threaten jail term or harassment unless Customs duty or fines are paid immediately, prompting the victims to transfer large sums to personal bank accounts, UPI IDs or digital wallets. Once the money is transferred, the fraudsters cut off all communication.
The Customs department clarified that no passenger is harassed for non-payment of duty, and that all official procedures are carried out strictly as per the law and under CCTV surveillance at the airport.
Appealing to the public to remain vigilant, the Customs department urged people not to respond to calls or messages seeking money in the name of Customs officials.
Victims or recipients of such calls have been asked to report the matter immediately by emailing commrapacc-cusblr@gov.in or by contacting the cybercrime helpline at 1930. The officials warned that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in the fraud.
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Mule bank accounts frozen in crackdown on cyber fraudsters in Karnataka, 68 held
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka State Cyber Command has arrested 68 people as part of a statewide drive against mule bank accounts and “mule herders” involved in cyber fraud, officials said on Friday.
The special operations, which have been continuing since last week across Karnataka, targeted networks engaged in aggregating and selling mule bank accounts used for cyber crimes.
The arrests were made between December 2025 and February 2026, police said in an updated report.
“The Karnataka Cyber Command has conducted statewide special operations against Mule accounts and mule herders across Karnataka. The special drive has continued since last week and this is an updated report,” the department said in a statement.
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Police said the investigation identified a network of “mule herders” — individuals who aggregate and misuse mule bank accounts — who were retailing and selling such accounts to cyber criminals.
A total of 68 key accused and suspects have been arrested during the period.
According to the statement, mule herders had collected personal information and documents from unsuspecting laypersons and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of their relatives.
“These accounts were operated in a business-like manner,” it added.
As part of the crackdown, police registered 60 cases and identified 869 mule accounts across the state. As many as 8,788 complaints were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) against the identified mule accounts.
The total money involved in all NCRP-linked crimes stood at Rs 85.05 crore, of which Rs 13.43 crore has been put on hold, the Cyber Command said.
During the drive, police obtained 32 search warrants and conducted 35 searches. In the searches, 35 ATM cards, 37 passbooks, 80 mobile phones, 28 cheque books and 22 SIM cards were seized, along with other incriminating materials, officials said. Pronab Mohanty, the Director General of Police (Karnataka State Cyber Command) supervised the special drive, police added.
