The Malkajgiri Cyber Crime Police have arrested 13 individuals in connection with six separate cyber fraud cases between March 29 and April 4. According to authorities, the investigations uncovered an extensive network of offenders operating across multiple states. These cases primarily involved investment frauds and a digital arrest scam, where the accused allegedly provided their personal bank account details to criminal networks on a commission basis to facilitate the laundering of stolen funds through layered transactions.
Investment Scams and Fake Trading Platforms
In one significant instance of investment fraud, a victim was lured into a fake trading platform by individuals posing as Amulya and Rhythm Truly. The victim was induced to invest ₹72.70 lakh but received only ₹7.20 lakh in return, resulting in a total loss of ₹72.50 lakh. Police arrested SK Akbar, a resident of Khammam, for his role in facilitating these transactions. Another case involved the SAMCCHNI App, where a victim was approached by fraudsters impersonating a senior official from a securities firm. Persuaded by the promise of high returns, the victim invested ₹7.61 crore only to find that withdrawals were blocked once the application showed inflated profits. Banoth Mansingh, also from Khammam, was arrested in relation to this case.
Coercion Through Digital Arrest
The police also detailed a digital arrest fraud case that led to the arrest of Mohammed Aijaz Ul Haq from Golconda. In this scheme, the victim was threatened by individuals posing as officials from the Data Protection Board and the police. Under extreme pressure and coercion, the victim transferred ₹7.80 crore through multiple transactions. To meet these demands, the victim was forced to pledge personal assets and borrow significant sums of money. This case highlights the increasing use of psychological tactics and impersonation of law enforcement to defraud citizens of their life savings.
Part-Time Job Offers and Task Fraud
The crackdown further revealed a case where a victim was lured by a part-time job offer involving online tasks. Under the pretext of completing these assignments, the victim was prompted to invest ₹78.37 lakh across various transactions but never received any returns. Yarramalla Vinod, a resident of Suryapet, was arrested for his involvement in this scheme. These arrests underscore the diverse methods employed by cybercriminals, ranging from sophisticated financial applications to simple employment scams, all designed to exploit the trust of unsuspecting individuals through digital channels.
