Twenty-five cyber fraudsters operating from seven different states and linked to 453 cases across India, with 66 of these impacting victims within Telangana, have been arrested by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Hyderabad.
Just in the month of June, the Cyber Crime unit successfully refunded Rs 72.85 lakh to victims. The National Lok Adalat held on June 14, 2025, also saw an additional Rs 3.67 crore refunded in 64 cases.
The police seized valuable evidence from the arrested individuals, including 34 mobile phones, 20 cheque books, 17 debit cards, 16 passbooks, 8 SIM cards, and Rs 1 lakh in cash, highlighting the scale of these illicit operations.
The June crackdown brought to light several high-value fraud cases. These include a 'Stock Trading Scam' (Rs 2.59 Crore Loss), in which the victim was lured through Facebook and WhatsApp into investing in a fictitious trading platform, FINALTORG.COM. Two accused from Haryana have been arrested in connection with this significant loss.
In another 'Fake App Investment' that caused a loss of Rs 74.36 Lakh, another victim lost a substantial amount after investing through a fraudulent application named "Abott Wealth Management," subsequently losing access to their funds. Two accused from Pune, Maharashtra, have been taken into custody.
In a case of impersonation of 'YES BANK Trading' (Rs 45.83 Lakh Loss), fraudsters tricked a victim into using a fake website, promising an improbable 33 per cent profit. Two individuals from Gujarat have been arrested in connection with this scam.
Then there was a 'fake Indian Oil Dealership' (Rs 31.76 Lakh Loss) in which a victim was promised an Indian Oil dealership and received forged IOCL documents via email. Two accused from Delhi, originally from Bihar, have been caught for this deception.
In addition to financial fraud, the Cyber Crime unit also processed 22 cases related to Child Sexual Abuse/Exploitative Material (CSAEM), which were received via the I4C/NECMEC tip line. These cases have been transferred to the police stations concerned for thorough investigation, leading to the arrest of accused individuals.
The public has been advised to stay vigilant against cyber fraud.
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have reiterated crucial advisories to the public to prevent them from falling victim to similar scams:
- Be wary of unknown investment groups: Do not trust investment groups found on Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms.
- Avoid suspicious links and APKs: Never install APKs (Android Application Packages) or click on suspicious links received via SMS or WhatsApp.
- Verify official communications: No government agency (such as CBI, ED, RBI, Customs, FedEx) will conduct video/Skype calls or request online payments.
- Recognise "digital arrest" as a scam: Be aware that "digital arrest" is a fraudulent tactic. Do not panic and report any such attempts immediately.
- Timely reporting is key: Immediate reporting of cyber fraud incidents significantly increases the chances of recovering lost funds.
- For any cyber fraud concerns, the public is urged to contact the Cyber Fraud Helpline at 1930 or report incidents on the official website -cybercrime.gov.in.
