Adilabad Police Nab Inter-State Cyber Criminal in Rs 5.3 Cr Fraud
It was found that the accused Prakash Kumar (22) of Rajasthan had allegedly cheated around 140 victims across 19 States and caused financial losses of more than Rs.5.30 crore: Police
Hyderabad: The Adilabad district police arrested an inter-State cyber criminal who was allegedly involved in cheating people through Instagram in the name of selling mobile accessories.
During the investigation, it was found that the accused Prakash Kumar (22) of Rajasthan had allegedly cheated around 140 victims across 19 States and caused financial losses of more than Rs.5.30 crore.
Two mobile phones and Rs.1 lakh were seized from the possession of the arrested person, district Superintendent of Police, Akhil Mahajan at a press conference.
The police received a complaint from a mobile business shop owner Sameer Syed of Vaddur Village. On July 25, 2026, while searching on Instagram for mobile chargers, displays and other accessories required for his shop, the complainant came across an Instagram account and subsequently identified another account named “Raj Led Mumbai.”
A contact number mentioned in the account was used to communicate with the persons operating the account. The persons claimed that they supplied mobile spare parts and accessories and assured the complainant that the goods would be dispatched through courier after making online payment.
Believing their claims, the complainant made multiple online payments between July 25 and August 8, 2026, and paid a total amount of Rs.2,18,000 to the QR code provided by them.
Subsequently, the accused sent a courier receipt through WhatsApp and informed the complainant that the goods would be delivered through a courier agency. They further cited transportation issues and delayed the delivery by giving various reasons.
On August 22, 2026, when the complainant was asked to visit a nearby courier office to collect the parcel, he searched for the office in Ichoda and Adilabad but could not find it. Suspecting that he had been cheated, he immediately contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint.
Based on the complaint, Ichoda Police registered a case and took up investigation. With the help of technical evidence and cyber investigation, the police identified and arrested the accused.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had allegedly cheated around 140 victims across 19 States, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar, Ladakh, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat.
The total amount involved in the reported transactions was identified as approximately Rs.5.3 crore. Mahajan advised the public not to make advance payments to unknown persons offering mobile spare parts, accessories or other products at unusually low prices through social media platforms.
He urged people to thoroughly verify the credentials of online sellers before making payments and to avoid transferring money to suspicious QR codes or personal accounts.
He further advised citizens who become victims of cyber fraud to immediately contact the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and report the incident without delay. Prompt reporting increases the possibility of preventing further transfer of the cheated amount and recovering the money.