What happened
India Today NE reported on 11 November 2026 that the Assam Police CID Cyber Cell arrested Naveen Hussain of Jalukbari, Guwahati, who allegedly ran an HDFC Bank Customer Service Point (CSP) there. Investigators suspect he misrepresented himself as an HDFC Bank employee to collect people's personal details and opened bank accounts in their names without their knowledge or consent, and that those accounts were used to receive money from cyber fraud and other illegal activity. Several lakh rupees were allegedly deposited into linked accounts, including about Rs 5 lakh in the latest instance. The CID seized several linked accounts, multiple cases have been registered against him at different police stations, and police are examining a suspected wider network. HDFC Bank is spoofed, not accused. The allegations are unproven.
How the scam works
Cyber-fraud groups often need other people's bank accounts, sometimes called mule accounts, to move stolen money. They recruit account holders with a promise of easy commission for renting or selling an account, or they open accounts in other people's names after collecting identity documents. Funds that then pass through the account can be the proceeds of theft, and the account holder can face investigation even if they did not take money from a victim directly. Do not rent, sell or hand over a bank account, OTP, ATM card or login, and do not agree to receive and forward money for someone you met online.
India Today NE reported that Assam CID arrested Naveen Hussain, accused of posing as HDFC Bank staff at a customer service point in Jalukbari, Guwahati, to open mule accounts in other people's names. He is accused, and the allegations are unproven. HDFC Bank was impersonated and is not involved. Similar mule-account cases reported the same day include Kerala's Operation Cy-Hunt arrests and Indore's Operation Matrix case.
Source
India Today NE, 11 November 2026: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/guwahati-man-held-for-allegedly-opening-fake-bank-accounts-in-hdfc-employees-name-1474049-2026-11-11
https://x.com/ne_insider/status/2120468794606756189
