Hyderabad: Cybercrime Police arrest 59 online fraudsters from 7 states; refund Rs 86.64L to victims

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have arrested 59 cyber fraudsters from eight states and refunded Rs 86.64 lakh to victims in September. The offenders were involved in a range of cyber frauds, including investment scams, credit card frauds, and even a chilling digital arrest case that claimed a life.

Rising Cybercrime Complaints

According to Hyderabad City Police, the Cybercrime wing received 320 complaints via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) in September alone. Of these, 222 cases were registered at the central Cybercrime Police Station, while 106 FIRs were booked under various Zonal Cyber Cells.

Fraudsters from Eight States involved in 257 cases

Special teams conducted coordinated operations across the country and arrested 59 accused from Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala.

Police investigations revealed that the accused were collectively linked to 257 cases nationwide — including 74 in Telangana, 53 in Maharashtra, and 38 in Karnataka.

They were found to be operating across multiple fraud modules, including: investment scams (28), digital arrest cases (6), part-time investment frauds (4), matrimonial frauds (2), credit card frauds (4), and movie piracy cases (3).

Key seizures during raids

The police recovered a large cache of evidence from the accused, including 43 mobile phones, nine cheque books, eight bank passbooks, 23 debit/credit cards, four laptops, 21 SIM cards, and a shell company stamp used for illegal financial transactions.

Refunds to victims from multiple scams

The Cybercrime Police successfully facilitated refunds totaling ₹86.64 lakh to defrauded victims. Breakdown of the refunded amounts includes: Investment Fraud (Rs 58.47 lakh), Impersonation Fraud (Rs 13 lakh), Trading Fraud (Rs 12.43 lakh), OTP Fraud (Rs 5.21 lakh), Job Fraud (Rs 3.34 lakh), Credit Card Fraud (Rs 2.58 lakh), and APK Fraud (Rs 50,000).

Movie Piracy Network Busted

In another major operation, police dismantled a movie piracy syndicate involved in illegally circulating newly released Telugu films.

Following a complaint by Yarra Manindra Babu of the Anti-Video Piracy Cell, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), it was found that pirated copies of Single and Hit were uploaded online on their release day.

Five accused, hailing from Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, were arrested for their involvement in uploading and distributing pirated films through illegal digital platforms.

Tragic death in Digital Arrest Scam

The Cybercrime Police also uncovered a digital arrest scam that led to the death of a retired government doctor from Malakpet.

The victim was allegedly harassed through WhatsApp calls by fraudsters posing as Bangalore Police officials and agents of central agencies like the ED and RBI.

They fabricated documents implicating her in a human trafficking case and extorted ₹6.6 lakh from her pension account. The sustained mental harassment reportedly led to a fatal cardiac arrest on September 8.

Shockingly, the fraudsters continued to send intimidating messages even after her death. Two accused from Maharashtra were arrested in connection with the case.

Public Advisory

Hyderabad Cybercrime Police urged citizens to stay vigilant and avoid responding to suspicious investment links, fake job offers, or threatening calls.

Victims can lodge complaints through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, www.cybercrime.gov.in, or by contacting the local cybercrime police stations.