Hyderabad: How Cyber Crime Police busted Rs 3 crore investment gang that used WhatsApp to trap customers

Hyderabad: Cyber Crime Police Station and Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) arrested four people from Hyderabad for their role in a Rs 3 crore trade investment scam.

The accused include one account holder and three middlemen who facilitated the fraudulent operation by diverting money through multiple bank accounts.

Victim duped via WhatsApp investment group

The case came to light after a complaint was filed on June 28 by a resident of North Lalaguda. According to the complaint, the victim was approached in April 2025 by a woman named Anu Pritha Daga, who introduced herself as an assistant mentor to Ajay Garg, the purported CEO of SMC Global Securities Ltd, New Delhi.

She added the complainant to a WhatsApp group named ‘SMC Global Securities’, which had around 60 members, including 20 active participants. She then invited the victim to join an online investment platform through a weblink, promising regular trade tips, easy fund withdrawals, and SEBI-approved financial transactions.

Fraudulent IPO offer and fabricated documents

Anu Pritha Daga convinced the victim to invest in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of a fictitious firm named Influx Health Tech Ltd. On June 19, the complainant was shocked to learn that shares worth ₹49 crore had been allocated to him without consent.

After raising concerns, the scamsters agreed to reallocate the shares and insisted the victim pay Rs 3 crore instead. Believing the process was legitimate, backed by forged SEBI approval letters, the victim transferred Rs 3 crore into 16 different bank accounts shared by the accused.

Initially, a token withdrawal of Rs 10,000 was allowed to gain the victim’s trust. Soon after, the fraudsters claimed his account had entered a negative balance and pressured him to pay the remaining amount. It was then that the complainant realized he had been duped.

Digital money trail and arrests

During the probe, investigators found that one of the accounts in Kerala had received Rs 77 lakh from the victim, from which Rs 8 lakh was transferred to the account of one of the accused, Srinivas Manubothula.

The arrested individuals were identified as Srinivas Manubothula (45), Software Consultant (Narsingi), Syed Yousuf (45), Real Estate Agent (Aghapura), Chekka Yeshaya alias Shekar (54), Unemployed (Banjara Hills), and Mohammed Jaber Ahmed (42), Businessman (JBR Enterprises) (Mehdipatnam). Four mobile phones used in the operation were seized.

Modus Operandi: Bank accounts as conduits for cybercrime

Investigations revealed that Srinivas had earlier started a drone software company named Drones Spray, which suffered financial losses. His friend Shekar introduced him to Jaber Ahmed, who, along with Syed Yousuf, convinced Srinivas to allow usage of his company’s current bank account for fraudulent transactions in exchange for a 10 percent commission.

Syed Yousuf then traveled to Mumbai with the SIM card linked to the account and coordinated with cyber fraudsters. A total of Rs 4.3 crore was routed through Srinivas’s account, and the funds were quickly dispersed via net banking.

Notably, 46 NCRP (National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal) petitions from across India are pending against this single bank account, indicating its wider role in multiple scams.

Investigation expands: Search on for main conspirator

Efforts are currently underway to trace the real identity of Anu Pritha Daga, who is believed to be a key conspirator and the initial point of contact in the scam. Police are also trying to track down other members of the larger fraud network.

TGCSB Advisory: Public urged to stay alert

Issuing a strong advisory, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has cautioned citizens not to share their bank accounts with anyone for commission-based deals or quick money. Fraudsters often exploit personal bank accounts for money laundering and cybercrime.

The public is urged to be vigilant against too-good-to-be-true investment schemes and report suspicious activity immediately via the 1930 Cyber Crime Helpline or the national portal at cybercrime.gov.in.