Hyderabad: Cyber Cops Arrest 43 Fraudsters in December

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad cybercrime police said they had arrested 43 cyber criminals from 15 states in December last and recovered over Rs.2.05 crore, which they stole from various victims. The crackdown was launched following a surge in the incidents of ‘digital arrests’, especially targeting senior citizens.

According to the data released on Thursday, December saw the registration of 144 FIRs based on 266 complaints received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), while the zonal cyber cells registered an additional 80 FIRs.

The arrested persons were found to be part of a massive pan-India network, with their bank accounts recording suspicious transactions worth Rs.73 crore across 119 cases nationwide.

In one of "digital arrest" cases, fraudsters stole Rs.1.95 crore from a 75-year-old homemaker by impersonating telecom and government officials and making false allegations against her husband.

Under psychological coercion, she transferred the massive sum via RTGS for "verification." Police traced and arrested three accused — Saiyad Soyab Jahid bhai, Belim Anas Rahim bhai, and Dinesbhai Keshubhai Babariya — from Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

In another case, a senior citizen was swindled of Rs.59 lakh after receiving WhatsApp calls from imposters posing as police and judicial officers. They sent forged court notices alleging his involvement in human trafficking and money laundering. Two accused from East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh — Surampudi Chandrasekhar and Emandi Venkat Naveen — were apprehended in connection with this scam.

An analysis of the 34 major cases detected in December shows that investment fraud remains the most prevalent (19 cases), followed by digital arrest (8), social media fraud (3), and others including hacking and piracy. The police seized 23 mobile phones, laptops, and numerous cheque books and debit cards during the raids.