Hyderabad cybercrime cops bust online betting, gaming scam involving Rs 26 crore; 4 held

Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Police have dismantled a sophisticated network of online gaming and betting scams. Four persons have been arrested for allegedly facilitating transactions worth over Rs 26 crore.

The individuals have been identified as Rajesh Venkata Raman, Bhamidipati Abhishek, Augustene Williams, all residents of Hyderabad and Manmeet Sharma alias Sonya from Goa.

Police said the accused played crucial roles in operating illegal payment gateways and routing funds generated through fraudulent betting platforms.

Victim duped through social media ad

The case came to light following a complaint by a 24-year-old woman from Hyderabad, who was cheated of nearly Rs 30 lakh.

According to police, the victim was lured through a deceptive Instagram advertisement and later contacted via WhatsApp, where she was introduced to an online casino platform.

Initially, she was allowed to withdraw small amounts to gain her confidence. However, as she continued investing larger sums through multiple UPI transactions from her bank accounts, she incurred heavy losses.

Eventually, her accounts were frozen and lien-marked due to suspicious transactions, leaving her financially devastated.

How the fraud network operated

Investigations revealed a well-organised financial network behind the scam:

The prime accused, Rajesh Venkata Raman, along with an associate from Gujarat, operated a company named One Stop Shopping Station Pvt Ltd.

The group created and managed illegal payment gateways such as CloseX Pay, Trustly Pay and Accult Pay.

These platforms enabled transactions via UPI, IMPS, and cards, charging commissions of 2–3 per cent per transaction.

Mule bank accounts were opened using fake company identities, with KYC documents circulated among the accused to activate payment gateway services.

Funds collected from betting activities were routed through these gateways, with commissions distributed among the accused before transferring the remaining amount further through the network.

Police stated that Rajesh retained around 5 per cent commission, along with an additional 5 per cent share for co-accused Sonya, while the rest of the money was moved through other operatives.

Seizures and evidence collected

During the operation, police seized several incriminating items, including:

4 laptops

6 mobile phones

9 cheque books

2 shell company stamps

Cash amounting to Rs 6.5 lakh

Search on for the absconding accused

Efforts are ongoing to trace the money trail and apprehend two absconding accused, identified as Andy alias Shaheer from Delhi and Rushabh Jasvantrai Gandhi from Gujarat.

Police advisory to public

The Cyber Crime Police have urged citizens to remain cautious:

- Avoid online gaming or lottery advertisements promising easy money.

- Online betting is prohibited under the Telangana Gaming Act.

- Fraudulent gaming apps often lure users with initial gains before causing heavy losses.

- Authorities reiterated that participating in or promoting online betting is illegal and punishable under the law.