37 Held In Cybercrime Crackdown, ₹14.5 Cr Recovered

Hyderabad Cybercrime Cops Arrest 37, Recover ₹14.5 Crore in Fraud Cases

Hyderabad: The Cybercrime wing of the Hyderabad police has arrested 37 people from six different states during a major crackdown on cyber fraud that took place between March 9 and June 14. Thanks to this action, over ₹14.5 crore was returned to victims across the country.

These accused were involved in at least 178 cybercrime cases nationwide, with 74 cases registered in Telangana alone. The arrests include:

18 from Telangana
5 from Andhra Pradesh
5 from Delhi
3 from Rajasthan
2 each from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana

Police also seized many items used in these crimes, including:

74 mobile phones
156 cheque books
22 SIM cards
11 laptops
11 debit cards
115 fake company stamps and seals
Fake IDs, QR code scanners, OTP detectors, and more

Key Cases:

Fake Investment Scam
Two men from Uttar Pradesh, Nikhil Kaushik and Amar Sharma, tricked a victim into investing ₹1.98 crore in fake trading apps. They pretended to be from Barclays Wealth Management and other firms, using fake websites to show false profits. Later, they demanded more money for fake taxes and charges. These two were already wanted in 47 other cases.
Online Harassment of Woman Entrepreneur
A Hyderabad woman who sells crystals online was harassed by a man pretending to be a customer. When she refused to respond, he spread vulgar content about her on social media. The man, identified as Kuna Dharmarao from Dilsukhnagar, was arrested.
Fake Facebook Profile of Bureaucrat
A senior government officer’s name and photo were used to create a fake Facebook account. The scammer, Arbaj Khan from Alwar, Rajasthan, tried to collect money from the officer’s friends by pretending to be him. He had also posed as a CRPF officer in other scams.

Public Advisory

The police warned people to stay alert and avoid:

Responding to suspicious video calls or messages from people claiming to be from CBI, ED, or TRAI.
Believing in digital “arrests” or paying fines via calls or apps like Skype.
Investing in high-return schemes shared through Telegram, WhatsApp, or Instagram without checking if they are SEBI-approved.

What You Can Do

If you suspect fraud or lose money online, report it immediately to the 1930 helpline or visit cybercrime.gov.in. Fast reporting can help recover lost money.

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