Hyderabad priest, accountant among victims of online scams; Rs 2.97 crore lost
The Cyberabad cybercrime police have made arrests and issued advisories, but scammers continue to exploit trust and technology.
By Newsmeter Network
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Hyderabad: Cybercriminals have swindled Hyderabad residents of nearly Rs 2.97 crore in a series of online frauds reported recently.
Victims include a priest, a cost accountant and others who were duped through impersonation, fake stock trading apps and matrimonial site scams.
The Cyberabad cybercrime police have made arrests and issued advisories, but scammers continue to exploit trust and technology.
Matrimonial scam costs man Rs 1.67 crore
A 30-year-old man was cheated of Rs 1.67 crore after befriending a woman on a matrimonial site. Pretending to be based in the US, she convinced him to invest in a fake stock trading application as a step towards their ‘future together.’
Police arrested Kondragunta Srikanth Kumar (37), a Nellore native and bank employee, who had provided current accounts to the fraudsters. Investigations revealed nearly 250 FIRs nationwide linked to the same accounts, involving investment frauds, sextortion and job scams.
Cost accountant loses Rs 15.49 Lakh
A 27-year-old cost accountant and student from Jagadgirigutta fell victim to a stock trading scam advertised on WhatsApp, losing Rs 15.49 lakh.
Convinced by promises of huge returns through IPO allotments and block trades, he initially invested small amounts and was even allowed to withdraw Rs 200 to build trust.
Later, he was persuaded to invest Rs 10 lakh in a bogus ‘Highway Infrastructure IPO.’ When he tried to withdraw profits shown as Rs 47 lakh, his access was blocked and further demands were made for additional deposits.
Stock app scam wipes out Rs 7.9 lakh
In another case, a city resident lost Rs 7.91 lakh after downloading a fraudulent stock trading app. The syndicate helped him create a demat account, offered training and manipulated share prices to mimic genuine company stocks.
The police arrested Dudekula Mohammed Shafi (40), a tax consultant from Balapur, for supplying accounts to the gang. His accounts were linked to at least 52 FIRs across multiple states.
Priest duped of Rs 6 lakh by fake army officer
A 52-year-old priest from Puranapool lost Rs 5.99 lakh to a scammer who posed as ‘Captain Aman Kumar’ from the Secunderabad Military Office.
Claiming that a senior officer was unwell and required priests for an 11-day ritual, the fraudster promised an advance of Rs 3 lakh.
On a video call, the victim was tricked into entering card details on PhonePe and Google Pay. Instead of receiving money, he unknowingly authorised multiple debits, wiping out his account.
Police advisory
The Cyberabad cybercrime police have urged citizens to remain cautious and not to share PINs, OTPs or card details with anyone, regardless of claims of being from the army, government, or reputed institutions.
They warned against following financial instructions on video or audio calls from unknown persons and highlighted that genuine payments never require PIN or OTP entry.
Small test transfers of Rs 1–Rs 10 should also be treated as warning signs.
Victims of cybercrime can immediately report by calling 1930, logging on to cybercrime.gov.in, or contacting the Cyberabad police on WhatsApp at 8712665171.
