- Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police cracked 17 cybercrime cases and arrested 19 people in one week
- Eleven cases involved trading frauds, the largest category detected during the period
- Criminals operated across states using WhatsApp groups, fake websites, and mule bank accounts
In one of the biggest crackdowns this year, Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad detected 17 cybercrime cases and arrested 19 people from different states between March 25 and March 31, uncovering an organised multi-state network behind online trading, digital arrest and fake job scams.
11 of the 17 cases cracked in the week were trading frauds, while two cases each related to digital arrest scams, part-time job fraud and job fraud.
"12 of the 19 accused arrested in the week were involved in trading frauds alone, making it the biggest category of cybercrime detected during the period. The remaining arrests were linked to digital arrest fraud, fake part-time job scams and bogus employment offers," said T Sai Manohar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes, Cyberabad.
Investigators said the gang members operated from multiple states using WhatsApp groups, fake websites, mule bank accounts and mobile numbers obtained with forged documents.
"Most of them were part of organised networks targeting people through fake trading platforms and social media groups," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The most significant breakthrough came in a Rs 2.93-crore trading fraud case in which a Hyderabad resident was cheated through a fake WhatsApp investment group. Victim was added to a WhatsApp group where fraudsters posed as market experts and financial advisers. To gain his trust fraudsters initially allowed the victim to withdraw a small amount and once he started investing bigger amounts, the cyber criminals trapped him.
'"Believing the investment was genuine, the victim transferred Rs 2.93 crore in phases to several bank accounts linked to the gang. When he later tried to withdraw the money, the fraudsters blocked his access and demanded additional payments," investigators said.
Cybercrime police tracked the money trail and arrested two men from Telangana - Shekar and Tinesh Kumar Parjapathi - for suppllying bank accounts to the gang and received commissions for routing the money.
"These accused were not innocent account holders. They knowingly provided mule bank accounts to move the fraud amount and helped conceal the identity of the main masterminds," DCP Sai Manohar said.
Police said the investigation revealed a wider network spread across several states, with cybercriminals using multiple accounts and digital wallets to make tracing difficult.
Apart from the arrests, Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police also secured 884 refund orders from courts in 125 cases during the week. A total of Rs 4.35 crore will now be returned to the victims.
