Police in Telangana’s Adilabad district have arrested five alleged members of an interstate cyber fraud gang accused of targeting people across the country through fake fertiliser franchise and loan schemes. According to police, around 498 cybercrime complaints have been registered against the accused nationwide, including 90 in Telangana. The gang is suspected of defrauding victims of approximately ₹3.5 crore.
The arrested accused have been identified as Abhishek Kumar, 24, Ashutosh Kumar, 33, Nishu Kumar, 25, Ritesh Kumar, 24, and Abinash Kumar, 24. All five are natives of Bihar. They were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
During the investigation, police recovered 10 mobile phones and ₹70,000 in cash from the accused. Police also found that around ₹8 lakh of the alleged fraud proceeds had been invested in bank accounts and stock market shares. The concerned bank accounts and investments have been frozen as per procedure.
According to police, the gang created a fake website in the name of “National Fertilizers Pvt Ltd” and used it to offer fraudulent fertiliser franchise opportunities. Applicants were allegedly asked to provide sensitive personal and financial information, including Aadhaar and PAN card details, photographs and bank account information. The accused then allegedly demanded money in instalments under different heads such as registration, service, licence and trade transfer fees.
The gang also allegedly operated a fake “Bajaj Loan” scheme to target people searching online for loans. After making contact with potential applicants, the accused allegedly collected their personal and financial details and demanded different charges on the pretext of processing the loan. Once the payments were made, the victims allegedly lost contact with the accused.
The case came to light after Akunuru Ganesh, a resident of Mandagada village in Bhoraj mandal, approached the police with a complaint alleging that he had been cheated of ₹3,85,725 while applying for a fertiliser franchise.
According to the complaint, the accused contacted Ganesh through phone calls, WhatsApp and email after he showed interest in the franchise opportunity. They allegedly collected his Aadhaar and PAN card details, photograph and other personal information. The accused initially demanded ₹50,000 as a franchise registration fee and later sought additional payments under the guise of licence charges, registration fees and other expenses.
Ganesh allegedly transferred a total of ₹3,85,725 through bank accounts, UPI and NEFT transactions. After receiving the money, the accused allegedly stopped responding to his calls and messages.
The large number of complaints linked to the accused indicates the suspected scale of the operation. Police believe the gang used fraudulent websites and online searches to identify people looking for business opportunities and loans. The alleged use of fake corporate identities also helped the accused gain the confidence of potential victims before demanding payments.
Cybersecurity experts advise people to independently verify the identity of companies offering franchises, loans or investment opportunities before sharing personal information or transferring money. Applicants should also verify official websites, contact details and registration information and avoid making payments solely on the basis of unsolicited calls, messages or online advertisements.
Police are now examining the accused persons’ other bank accounts, digital devices, websites and suspected associates. Investigators are also matching complaints registered in other states with the suspected network to determine the full extent of the operation and the total amount allegedly collected from victims. Further cases and additional links to the interstate cyber fraud network may emerge as the investigation progresses.
