Hyderabad Cybercrime Police Arrest 35 Across Nine States in September

Hyderabad recorded ₹17.34 crore in cyber fraud losses across 38 cases in September 2026, with police arresting 35 accused.

Trading and investment scams accounted for more than ₹16 crore of the reported losses, according to details released by Hyderabad Cybercrime Police on October 10. During the month, investigators registered 83 FIRs, conducted operations across nine states and helped victims recover ₹88.48 lakh through intervention and investigative action. The cases involved fraudulent investment schemes, stock trading scams, digital arrest fraud, OTP fraud and other online offences.

How much did trading and investment scams cost victims?

Fraudulent trading schemes accounted for ₹8.43 crore in losses across 11 cases, with ₹40.24 lakh returned to victims. Another 17 investment fraud cases resulted in losses of ₹7.68 crore, of which ₹9.20 lakh was recovered.

Five OTP fraud cases caused losses of ₹23.71 lakh, while ₹24.68 lakh was refunded. In two cases involving malicious APK files, victims lost ₹8.18 lakh, and police helped recover ₹5.50 lakh.

A digital arrest case involved a loss of ₹85 lakh, with ₹6.91 lakh secured for the victim. An unauthorised UPI transaction caused a loss of ₹4.84 lakh, of which ₹1.42 lakh was returned. In an advertisement fraud case, ₹50,016 was recovered from a total loss of ₹1.29 lakh.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT) M. Srinivasulu released the September figures, highlighting investigations and enforcement measures targeting cybercriminals.

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Where were the 35 accused arrested?

The arrests spanned nine states, with 10 accused apprehended in Telangana, nine in Andhra Pradesh and six in Maharashtra. Kerala and Uttar Pradesh accounted for three arrests each, while Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab recorded one arrest each.

By offence category, nine arrests were linked to social media crimes, seven to investment fraud, six to digital arrest scams and five to trading fraud. Three accused were arrested in advertisement fraud cases, two in identity theft cases, and one each in extortion, job fraud and customer care fraud cases.

Police seized 10 mobile phones, seven cheque books and a seal stamp allegedly belonging to a shell company during the operations.

What action did police take against suspicious online activity?

Cybercrime police identified 140 social media profiles and 30 paid advertisements allegedly using obscene or abusive content involving minors to generate engagement and monetisation revenue. The profiles were reported to the respective platforms for removal.

Police also monitored suspicious advertisements involving old coins, five-rupee tractor-themed currency notes, notes bearing the 786 series and betting predictions promising guaranteed winnings. Profiles linked to matrimonial services, private video calls and fake job advertisements were also identified over suspicions of advance-payment fraud and the misuse of personal information.

A separate cyber patrolling drive targeted 1,457 profiles and 2,603 paid advertisements allegedly promoting online gaming, illegal betting and fraudulent investment websites. Nine FIRs were registered against individuals accused of promoting these platforms.

How are victims being assisted and what precautions are advised?

Zonal Cyber Cells received 2,767 petitions through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and registered 381 FIRs during September. They arrested 11 people in 10 cases and helped recover ₹67.54 lakh. The C-MITRA unit made 1,928 calls to assist victims, while police registered 307 Zero FIRs to facilitate immediate legal action.

In a separate case, police arrested 27-year-old Shubham Mohan Londe in Pune over the alleged cheating of a Hyderabad woman of ₹6,60,543 through a digital arrest scam. Police also registered six FIRs over alleged dangerous activities publicised on social media during Ganesh immersion celebrations.

Authorities advised residents to verify investment platforms through official SEBI channels, avoid suspicious links and APK files, and enable two-step verification on WhatsApp. Police stressed that digital arrest is not a legal procedure and that agencies do not demand money through video calls. Victims were urged to call 1930 or file complaints through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal promptly to improve the chances of recovering stolen funds.