Hyderabad businessman loses Rs 1.5 crore to online cricket betting fraud; 4 arrested
The accused were found to have supplied hundreds of SIM cards registered in the names of family members and friends.
By - Newsmeter Network
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Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad City have arrested four persons from the Old City for their alleged role in a large-scale online cricket betting and gaming fraud that cheated a city-based businessman of Rs 1.5 crore.
The accused were found to have supplied hundreds of SIM cards registered in the names of family members and friends, which were later used to operate fraudulent betting platforms and circulate fake advertisements on social media.
The arrested persons have been identified as Mohammed Syeed Uddin alias Farid (26), Mohd Tajuddin (31), Mohd Younis alias Arbaaz (25) and MD Ayub (24), all residents of the Charminar zone in Hyderabad.
Victim lured with initial profits
According to police, a 36-year-old man from Hyderabad began receiving promotional WhatsApp messages and calls in 2025 from persons claiming to represent ‘BETINEXCHANGE.’
The scammers persuaded him to participate in online cricket betting, Teen Patti, and casino games, promising assured and high returns.
To build trust, they initially asked him to deposit Rs 20,001 and credited Rs 5,000 as profit. Encouraged by the apparent gains and continuous persuasion from the accused posing as customer care executives, the victim went on to make multiple deposits through bank transfers, UPI IDs, QR codes and cash deposit machines.
Between 2025 and January 2026, he deposited approximately Rs 1.5 crore from his own and his wife’s bank accounts. Though he initially received around Rs 20 lakh as profits, he later suffered heavy losses and was unable to withdraw any funds.
Betting websites changed domains and banks to evade detection
Whenever he attempted withdrawal, the fraudsters redirected him to interconnected betting platforms operating under different domain names such as BETINEXCH.COM, BETINEXCHANGE247, FUNINEXCHANGE, FUNINMATCH and others.
These websites frequently changed domains and bank accounts to evade detection.
Police said the accused created an illusion of profit in the initial stages to gain the victim’s confidence and later manipulated betting results, ultimately blocking withdrawals and causing wrongful loss to the complainant.
A case was registered in Crime No. 169/2026 under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act, Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of BNS, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act. Investigation is ongoing.
SIM cards supplied for betting racket
Investigations revealed that the prime accused, Mohammed Syeed Uddin alias Farid, had earlier worked in a cricket betting call centre in Dubai. After returning to India, he approached local youth and offered Rs 600 per SIM card.
The other accused—Tajuddin, Younis and Ayub—allegedly collected SIM cards registered in the names of their relatives and acquaintances and handed them over to Farid. He later supplied around 250 SIM cards to a person identified as Mudassir from Gujarat.
Police said Farid received Rs 1,200 per SIM card, which were subsequently used for online cricket betting and gaming fraud operations. The absconding accused allegedly created betting websites and contacted victims by posing as support staff, guiding them to create accounts and place bets before blocking withdrawals.
Seizure and further probe
Police seized five mobile phones during the operation. Efforts are underway to trace the money trail, freeze additional bank accounts and apprehend the remaining accused involved in the racket.
The case was detected by a team led by Inspector P Shiva Chandra, along with other officers of the Cyber Crime Police, Hyderabad.
Public advisory
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) V Aravind Babu cautioned the public against falling prey to online betting and gaming advertisements promising guaranteed returns.
Police advised citizens not to click on suspicious links, download apps from unverified websites, or transfer money to unknown accounts. They also warned against sharing OTPs, PINs, or banking credentials and cautioned that initial winnings shown on such platforms are often fake and intended to gain trust.
Victims of cybercrime can seek immediate assistance by dialling 1930 or by visiting the cybercrime reporting portal.
