Mumbai: Mumbai police have arrested Amir Feroz Maniyar, a Karjat resident, for alleged involvement in a cyber fraud case connected to one of the 35 accounts he opened at the Kurla branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB). This incident has raised suspicions of a larger financial scam under investigation.
The fraud came to light when the branch manager noticed Maniyar’s frequent visits, often accompanied by different individuals. Upon questioning, Maniyar claimed he was assisting relatives and acquaintances in opening accounts and ran an import-export business. To verify his claims, the manager requested written details of the accounts he had helped open.
On Tuesday, the bank received an email reporting that five of its accounts were implicated in cyber fraud, one of which was linked to Maniyar. When summoned to the branch, Maniyar failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the fraudulent activities. The bank manager promptly alerted the police, leading to his arrest.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Maniyar had opened 35 accounts in the same branch, raising concerns about a potential larger fraud network. Authorities suspect his involvement in a significant financial racket, and further investigations are ongoing to uncover the full scope of the scam.
Investigators are now focusing on identifying Maniyar’s accomplices and the extent of the fraudulent activities facilitated through these accounts. Authorities are also examining whether the accounts were used for money laundering or other illegal financial transactions. This case serves as a stark reminder for banks to strengthen their due diligence processes and monitor unusual activities more closely to prevent similar scams in the future.
