31 October,2026 08:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Kamlesh Navghare, who was staying in a Delhi lodge, was shocked to learn that after R30 lakh was credited to his account, the gang transferred it to another account and disappeared. Illustration/Uday Mohite
A 24-year-old man from Nanded, Kamlesh Navghare, who allegedly rented out his bank account to a cyber fraud gang in exchange for a 1.5 per cent commission, has been arrested by the North Cyber Police in connection with a Rs 30 lakh scam targeting a Goregaon-based businessman.
Navghare, was allegedly flown to Delhi by the gang, accommodated at a lodge near a railway station and then abandoned after its members used his bank account to route the fraudulently obtained money. The gang allegedly promised him a commission but transferred the entire amount to another account without paying him anything.
According to North Cyber police sources, Navghare came into contact with a Delhi-based operative in Nanded in January this year. The two exchanged phone numbers and remained in contact. In August, the operative allegedly arranged a flight ticket for Navghare to Delhi and booked accommodation for him at a lodge near a railway station.
However, the operative did not meet him personally. Instead, he allegedly sent another gang member to the lodge, who took Navghare's mobile phone and used his bank account to receive the fraudulent amount of R30 lakh. After the money was credited, the gang member allegedly transferred it to another bank account using Navghare's phone and then disappeared, leaving him stranded at the lodge.
Navghare had allegedly been promised 1.5 per cent commission on the amount routed through his bank account. Disappointed, he eventually returned to Nanded empty-handed.
A complaint was lodged by a 37-year-old accountant working with a company based in Goregaon West. According to his police complaint, the accountant had been working with the company for 15 years and was familiar with its owner. On August 27, 2026, at around 1.30 am, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The sender had allegedly used a display picture identical to that of his employer.
The impersonator instructed him to transfer R30 lakh through RTGS from the company's HDFC Bank account to an IndusInd Bank account belonging to Patil Real Estate Services and Builders. When the accountant attempted to call the sender, there was no response. The fraudster allegedly claimed to be in a meeting and instructed him to communicate through messages. The accountant subsequently contacted his employer, who reportedly acknowledged the request, believing that the communication was genuine. Following this, the accountant transferred the amount to the beneficiary account provided by the fraudster.
The fraud was exposed when the same WhatsApp number subsequently asked him to transfer another large amount to an ICICI Bank account in the name of Wavecroft Commerce Private Limited. The company's chartered accountant contacted the owner to verify the fresh payment request, following which the owner denied having issued any such instructions. Realising that the company had been cheated, the accountant and the company's administration team approached the cybercrime helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint.
During the investigation, the North Cyber police traced the money trail and obtained the KYC details linked to the beneficiary account, which led them to Navghare in Nanded. He was subsequently arrested and is currently in judicial custody.
Sources said that an examination of Navghare's chat history allegedly revealed that he was in contact with multiple cyber fraud gangs and had travelled to different states to provide his bank accounts to fraudsters in exchange for commissions.
Investigators suspect that he had been involved in a wider network of bank-account mule arrangements, in which account holders allow cybercriminals to route money through their accounts for a percentage-based commission.
The investigation was carried out under the guidance of Cyber DCP Bajrang Bansode senior inspector Sunil Lokhande, along with their team, including PSI Amole Kamble and other staff.
