Adilabad Police have arrested a 25-year-old man from Maharashtra in a cyber fraud case in which a local resident allegedly lost ₹73,279 after being contacted by someone posing as an HDFC Bank official.
The accused has been identified as Chaitanya Pramod Kute, a resident of Akola district in Maharashtra.
Police say the investigation has since widened far beyond the original complaint, with National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal records allegedly linking him to around 150 complaints across Telangana, Maharashtra and Goa involving losses of about ₹95.33 lakh.
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Victim Targeted in Credit Card Activation Scam
According to police, the complainant, Praful Patil of Brahmanwada in Adilabad, received a call on July 23 from someone claiming to be speaking from HDFC Bank.
The caller allegedly told him that assistance was required to activate his credit card.
Police say the accused then obtained banking details and OTPs from the victim and used them to make five transactions totalling ₹73,279.
After the loss was discovered, a case was registered at Adilabad One-Town Police Station.
Investigators then began tracing the digital and financial trail connected with the transactions.
NCRP Data Helped Police Trace Accused to Maharashtra
Police said technical inputs available through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal helped identify the suspect.
A team from Adilabad travelled to Maharashtra and arrested Kute before bringing him back for further investigation.
The police also seized a car, two mobile phones and SIM cards from him.
Investigators are examining those devices for call records, customer details, OTP messages, banking activity and links to other suspected victims.
Police Say He Used Experience Speaking With Bank Customers
One of the more significant allegations concerns Kute’s previous work experience.
According to local police reporting, he allegedly told investigators that he had earlier worked with a bank and used his experience speaking with customers to carry out the fraud.
Police say he collected mobile numbers linked to bank customers and then contacted people while pretending to be a legitimate bank representative.
He allegedly changed SIM cards and mobile phones regularly to make tracing more difficult.
Around 150 Cybercrime Complaints Allegedly Linked
The investigation then expanded beyond the original Adilabad complaint.
Police say NCRP records showed around 150 complaints from Telangana, Maharashtra and Goa linked to the accused’s suspected activity.
The total amount reflected in those complaints was ₹95,33,651, according to the police.
That figure represents the value of complaints police say are linked through the cybercrime reporting system.
It should not yet be treated as a court-established fraud amount.
Money Allegedly Moved to Amazon-Linked Accounts
Police further allege that money taken from victims was routed into different UPI and Amazon-linked accounts.
Telangana Today reported that Kute allegedly admitted during questioning that he had diverted money into accounts under his control after obtaining victims’ banking credentials.
Investigators are now examining those accounts to reconstruct the money trail and determine whether other people helped receive, transfer or withdraw the funds.
Accused Allegedly Destroyed One Phone
Police also say Kute told investigators that he had destroyed a mobile phone allegedly used in the cyber fraud activity.
That claim is now part of the investigation.
The devices recovered during the arrest may help police identify other phone numbers, account credentials and people connected with the suspected network.
Bank Impersonation Remains a Common Cyber Fraud Method
The alleged technique in this case relies heavily on social engineering rather than sophisticated hacking.
A caller pretends to represent a bank and creates a believable reason for asking the victim to provide account information, card details or OTPs.
Credit-card activation, KYC updates, card-blocking warnings and suspicious transaction alerts are commonly used as pretexts.
The fraud succeeds when the victim believes the caller is genuine and voluntarily shares information that allows an unauthorised transaction.
Why OTPs Are Critical
An OTP is meant to provide a second layer of security for a banking transaction.
It should never be shared with someone over a call, even if that person claims to be from the bank.
Legitimate bank staff do not need a customer’s OTP, PIN or CVV to activate a card or resolve a routine account issue.
In this case, police say the ₹73,279 was taken after the victim disclosed OTPs during the purported credit-card activation process.
Investigation Continues Across Three States
Adilabad Police are now comparing the accused’s mobile numbers, accounts and transaction history with complaints registered in Telangana, Maharashtra and Goa.
The objective is to determine how many cases can be directly connected to him and whether other people were involved in arranging accounts or moving money.
The accused has not been convicted, and all allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
What this means for you
Never share OTPs, CVV numbers, PINs or full card details with anyone claiming to be from a bank. If a caller says your credit card needs activation or verification, disconnect and contact the bank through the official number printed on the card or listed on its website.
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