An increasing number of people are falling prey to fraudulent schemes masquerading as 'lotteries' and 'job offers', mostly on the cyber world.

As many as 11,195 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) have been detected by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in the Finance Ministry, between 2006-10 in this regard.

The Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) were found to be the most favourite technology tools used by the rogues for instantly encashing the fraudulent transactions, the maiden report said.

The FIU--an elite unit under the Finance Ministry-- has brought out a latest report on emerging trends in STRs, filed to it by various banks, financial institutions and intermediaries in the country.

The FIU found the number of STRs filed under the category of "nature of transactions" surpassed all other categories of doubtful transactions reported to it.

The "nature of transactions" category of STRs monitor those bank accounts who have had doubtful foreign remittances to non-relatives, suspicious use of ATM/credit card to withdraw money, suspicious off-market transactions in demat accounts and cash deposits in a bank account at multiple locations.

"A number of people are being cheated and duped by these fraudulent schemes including through the internet and the records furnished by banks and financial portals reflect it now. Enforcement agencies like Police, I-T department and Economic Offences Wing are regularly writing to us to obtain such STRs in pursuance of such cases registered by them," a senior Finance Ministry official said.

The analysis of these reports led the FIU to report an "emerging trend of use of bank account for lottery fraud or employment fraud."