Hyderabad | In a breakthrough against a new form of street-level digital fraud, Narayanguda Police have busted a gang involved in cheating people at ATM and cash deposit machines by showing fake digital payment confirmations. Two accused have been arrested in connection with multiple cases reported across the city.
Police identified the arrested individuals as Mohammed Salman (26), a Rapido driver from Pahadishareef, and Azan Tauqeer Khan (19), a student from Malakpet. According to officials, both were actively targeting unsuspecting customers at ATM centers and cash deposit machines across Hyderabad.
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Investigations revealed that the accused would first engage victims at ATM locations and request cash, assuring them that the equivalent amount would be instantly transferred through GPay or UPI. Once they gained the victims’ trust, they collected mobile numbers and initiated a fake digital payment process.
However, instead of transferring money, the accused would display a fabricated “successful payment” screen on their devices, making victims believe that the transaction had been completed. Relying on this fake confirmation, victims handed over cash, after which the accused quickly fled the spot.
The case came to light after a complaint was filed by Aditya Agarwal on April 13. He stated that while he was at an SBI ATM near Taj Mahal Hotel depositing ₹20,000, one of the accused approached him, took the cash, and claimed to transfer the money via GPay. Within moments, a fake successful transaction screen was shown, and the accused left. Later, the victim discovered that no money had been credited to his account.
Following the complaint, police launched an investigation using CCTV footage and technical evidence, which helped trace and identify the suspects. Both accused were subsequently arrested from the Malakpet area. During interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in at least five similar cases registered in Narayanguda, Masab Tank, Sultan Bazar, IS Sadan, and Domalguda police station limits.
According to investigators, the gang operated in a highly planned manner. Victims were first engaged in conversation to build trust, followed by a quick digital payment illusion, and finally cheated within seconds using fake payment interfaces. The entire execution was designed to ensure minimal time for suspicion or reaction.
Police officials stated that the method primarily relied on an “attention diversion fraud” technique, where victims are distracted just long enough for the scam to be executed. Similar patterns have been observed in several other cases, indicating that this may be part of a broader network.
Cybersecurity experts noted that such frauds depend more on psychological manipulation than technology. Offenders exploit people’s trust in digital payments and the assumption that a visible confirmation screen always indicates a successful transaction.
Authorities have warned citizens not to hand over cash to strangers at ATMs or public places and to always verify transactions directly through official banking applications. Officials emphasized that a screenshot or on-screen confirmation alone is not proof of payment.
Police are now continuing their interrogation and analyzing digital evidence to determine whether the arrested individuals are part of a larger syndicate operating across multiple cities.
