Operation Cy-Hunt: Unraveling Kerala's Cyber Fraud Racket

A widespread cyber fraud operation dubbed 'Operation Cy-Hunt' has led to the arrest of 263 individuals across Kerala, as part of a crackdown on the state's growing cybercrime issues. The simultaneous raids took place in 714 locations, pulling in more than a thousand officers to bring the scam to light.

Coordinated by the Cyber Operations Wing of the Kerala Police, the sweep uncovered fraudulent activities involving online job scams, fake trading platforms, and computer-related fraud. The estimated value of these scams runs close to Rs 300 crore, causing raised alarms about a burgeoning trend of cyber fraud in the region.

The operation also exposed rampant use of mule accounts, which are bank accounts set up by students unwittingly becoming conduits for criminal transactions. Police have vowed to initiate awareness programs in educational institutions to inform students about the severe repercussions of participating in such illegal activities, knowingly or unknowingly.