Man Booking Chirala Hotel Room Online Cheated of ₹50k

He contacted the number for reservations. The person on the other end shared booking details, following which the complainant transferred Rs 58,260 towards the reservation. Soon after, the accused stopped responding to calls and messages.

The complainant filed an online complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. The case was transferred to Cyberabad.

Jagathgirigutta Woman Loses ₹8.61 Lakh in Telegram Task-Trading Scam

Cyberabad cybercrime police registered a case after a woman from Jagathgirigutta lost Rs 8,61,780 over less than a week to an online task-trading scam operated through Telegram groups and a fraudulent website. According to the complaint, the victim was added on December 7 to the Telegram group.Group members, introducing themselves as Aditya Das and Rajni Rawat promised payment for completing online tasks. They directed her to a website, guided her to log in using personal details and taught her step-by-step “trading and order-buying procedure.”On their demand, she transferred Rs 50,000 from her bank account. The platform displayed large profits, and other users in the group posted similar screenshots. She later made multiple payments – Rs 50,000 twice, Rs 50,000 via UPI, Rs 2.3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh through RTGS and cheque from another bank account.

When she attempted to withdraw her supposed profits, she was told to pay an additional Rs 6,54,400 as a “withdrawal permission fee”. When she refused, access to the app was blocked. Of the total Rs 8,73,000 sent, only Rs 11,220 was returned. Cybercrime police have registered a case and initiated investigation.Quthbullapur Businessman Duped of ₹20 Lakh in Year-Long Fake Franchise Scam

A businessman from Quthbullapur lost Rs 20 lakh in a scam that ran over a year to a franchise scam run through a fake delivery-service website and a network of callers posing as executives.According to the complaint, the victim searched online for franchise opportunities on December 11 last year and clicked on a website which presented itself as “ecom delivery”. After entering his details, he received calls from multiple individuals using different mobile numbers.

Believing the website and callers to be genuine, he shared his personal and business documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, land and rental agreements, company papers, bank statements, Form-16 and I-T returns. He was sent a series of documents bearing the company logo, which further strengthened his belief that the process was authentic.The callers told him his franchise had been approved and asked him to pay various charges. On December 31, 2024, and January 23, 2025, he transferred Rs 20,00,047 to the bank accounts they provided. Soon after, the fraudsters demanded an additional Rs 60 lakh for “interior work” and “operational set-up,” raising his suspicion.Upon checking, he found all the claims were fabricated. He approached the Cyberabad cybercrime police on Thursday.

Man Loses Over ₹1 Lakh in WhatsApp Stock-Trading Scam

A man was cheated of over Rs 1 lakh via an online stock-trading scam operated through a WhatsApp group impersonating a global financial services company, Cyberabad cybercrime police said. The fraudsters later attempted to extort an additional Rs 4.34 lakh under the guise of “IPO allotment fees.”

According to the complaint, filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, the victim was added on October 27 to the WhatsApp group. He saw group members posting screenshots of trades, profits and claims that they were operating “institutional stock trading accounts” of the firm.One Ananya Saraswat contacted the victim privately, claimed to be an analyst, and said that high-value profits were possible only through a specialised “institutional account” accessible through an app she instructed him to download.The complainant created a trading account on the app. On November 23, as directed, he transferred Rs 50,000 which appeared in the wallet. On November 25, he sent Rs 46,000 to another account; on November 27, Rs 43,000 to one more firm and on November 28, Rs 35,000.

After following trading “tips” given in the WhatsApp group, the complainant attempted to withdraw Rs 50,000 but was blocked. The fraudsters said he must first pay Rs 4,34,496, and that his app balance showed Rs 2,01,475, and that he still needed to pay Rs 2,33,028.80 to “complete the IPO subscription.”

Five Held for Supplying 35 Bank Accounts to Cyber Fraud, Betting Rings

Five persons were arrested for allegedly supplying more than 35 bank accounts to cyber fraud and online betting networks, in what officials described as the biggest detection of the week. The arrests were made during a raid in Old Alwal, conducted after credible information showed large-scale circulation of bank accounts for fraudulent transactions.

The accused have been identified as Kanugula Venkatesh, Mogili Gopi, Kandrakonda Sai Ram, Angadi Arjun and Panguluri Rajesh.

According to Cyberabad cybercrime officials, the prime accused, who runs a textile shop in Old Alwal, had suffered losses of nearly Rs 75 lakh through online betting. In an attempt to recover the money, he contacted organisers linked to betting networks through Telegram groups. He was promised commission for supplying bank accounts.

Police said the accused first provided his own business bank accounts and earned around Rs 4 lakh at 0.5 per cent commission. Encouraged, he and his associates allegedly began opening multiple current accounts using fabricated shop registrations with altered names, and also procured accounts of individuals by offering them Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 per account. Net-banking credentials were generated and handed over to the handlers operating through Telegram.

Investigators found that fraudsters sent them APK files enabling OTP-forwarding applications, ensuring complete remote control of the accounts. Commission amounts were routed through bank accounts and crypto wallets. A second group from Andhra Pradesh also assisted by sourcing additional account holders and sending account kits and SIM cards to the network through private travel parcel services.

In another major case this week, the cybercrime police investigating a digital arrest scam involving a loss of Rs 1.82 crore arrested Laxman Hanmant Sawantin in Solapur. He allegedly received Rs 40 lakh in his bank account and kept Rs 1 lakh as commission.

During the week between December 3 and 9, cops detected five cases, arrested 11 offenders across different states. Officials said that five of the arrested persons were account suppliers. This apart, the cybercrime police also processed 319 refund orders in 60 cases, amounting to Rs 1,36,62,082, to be returned to victims.