Rs 11 lakh matrimonial-crypto scam busted by Hyderabad police: Mastermind from Vizag held at airport

Hyderabad: A 32-year-old man from Visakhapatnam, allegedly the mastermind behind a matrimonial-cum-cryptocurrency fraud that duped a Hyderabad youth of over Rs 11 lakh, was arrested by Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police at Chennai airport while returning from Cambodia.

The accused has been identified as Pedapudi Prasanna Kumar (32), a native of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He was intercepted on February 24 and later produced before the court.

Victim trapped through matrimonial profile

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes) V Arvind Babu, IPS, said that the case surfaced after a 28-year-old man from Hyderabad lodged a complaint stating that he was cheated of Rs 11,17,834.

The victim was contacted by a woman identifying herself as ‘Anjali Kandula’ through a matrimonial website. She later continued conversations via WhatsApp using both UK and Indian numbers, claiming to be an Azure DevOps Engineer working in the United Kingdom.

Over time, she gained his emotional trust by expressing interest in marriage. She then introduced him to a cryptocurrency trading platform named ‘Bakktcoin,’ claiming her relative was an expert trader.

Initially, the victim invested a small amount and was shown fake profits. Encouraged by the apparent gains, he invested larger sums through Binance USDT (ERC-20) transactions. The platform displayed a wallet balance of 14,481 USDT (approximately Rs 12–12.5 lakh).

Victim called helpline 1930 to register case

However, when he attempted to withdraw the funds in November 2025, he was asked to deposit more money instead.

Realising the fraud, he contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and subsequently filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police.

Bought 400 to 500 SIM cards in Vizag

Elaborating further, the DCP said the accused during the interrogation confessed that he had travelled to Cambodia in April 2024 after approaching a job consultant in Visakhapatnam for overseas employment.

After reaching Cambodia, he allegedly met with cybercrime syndicates targeting Indian nationals through social media and matrimonial platforms. Lured by the promise of high earnings, he joined the network and underwent training in cryptocurrency and forex trading frauds.

Police said he later procured around 400 to 500 SIM cards through local contacts in Visakhapatnam. These SIM cards were used to create multiple fake social media and matrimonial profiles to target victims.

Modus operandi

Investigators revealed that the accused and his associates created fake profiles using attractive photographs and false identities, posing as well-settled professionals or NRIs.

After building emotional connections and promising marriage, they introduced victims to online trading platforms claiming assured or high returns. Small initial investments were followed by fabricated profit statements to build confidence.

Once victims invested larger amounts, communication was blocked or additional payments were demanded under the guise of taxes, service charges or account upgrades.

In this manner, the accused allegedly cheated several individuals and generated illegal gains through organised cyber fraud operations.

Seizures and further probe

Two mobile phones were seized from the accused. Police are now investigating the money trail, beneficiary accounts and the involvement of other local and international associates linked to the network.

Officials have stated that efforts are underway to identify additional victims and recover the cheated amounts.

A case has been registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Public advisory

Cyber Crime Police have urged citizens to remain cautious while interacting on matrimonial and social media platforms:

- Do not trust online investment schemes promising guaranteed or unusually high returns.

- Verify trading platforms before investing.

- Avoid sharing personal and financial details with unknown persons.

- In case of cyber fraud, immediately dial 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in to lodge a complaint.

Police reiterated that strict action will continue against organised cyber fraud syndicates targeting citizens.