NRI woman arrested in Kerala: Travel agent allegedly dupes relatives in cybercrime

Dubai: A 34-year-old Indian national, Sajida U, a travel agent living abroad, was arrested at Mumbai airport on charges of involving her own family members in a cybercrime network, Onmanorama reports.

Kasaragod cyber police uncovered a scheme where Sajida and her alleged accomplice, Sabir B M, exploited bank accounts to facilitate international fraud.

Authorities described their method as "farming" bank accounts—convincing individuals to open accounts and handing over full access for use by overseas criminal groups. A lookout notice was issued for Sajida and Sabir following these revelations.

Relatives tricked into opening bank accounts

The scam emerged when a 21-year-old woman from Kumbadaje panchayat in Kasaragod, Kerala, related to Sajida by marriage, filed a complaint. She told police that Sajida approached her in early 2024, claiming she couldn’t use her own bank account to receive money and asked her to open one on her behalf.

Trusting Sajida, the woman opened a Canara Bank account and handed over the ATM card, internet banking details, and linked SIM card—giving Sajida complete control, Onmanorama reported.

Illegal transactions uncovered, more victims surface

The complainant’s cousin was shocked when she received a notice from Bengaluru Cyber Police naming her as a suspect in an online fraud case. She soon learned that the account she opened for Sajida had been used for illegal transactions worth several lakhs of rupees. Further investigation revealed Sajida had similarly manipulated at least four other young relatives—including homemakers and students—to open accounts and surrender full access. By November 2024, all victims had lodged complaints accusing Sajida of fraud and betrayal.

‘Mule Accounts’ link to international cybercriminals

During interrogation, Sajida implicated Sabir, whose travel agency allegedly served as a front to sell access to these “mule accounts” to Chinese cybercriminals abroad. Kasaragod police official told Onmanorama that funds deposited into these accounts were withdrawn overseas using linked ATM cards.

Ongoing probe into cross-border cybercrime

Sajida remains in judicial custody as investigations continue into this complex cybercrime case, underscoring how criminals exploit family trust to facilitate international fraud.