Hyderabad: In two separate operations, the Cyberabad Cyber Crimes Police dismantled ‘digital arrest’ scam rackets operating from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These rackets defrauded two individuals of Rs 1.38 crore and Rs 28.68 lakh, respectively.
In the first case, cyber fraudsters posing as State Bank of India (SBI) officials and Mumbai Cyber Crime officers scammed an 82-year-old retired engineer out of Rs 1,38,60,000. They manipulated him into believing that a fake money laundering case had been lodged against him. Under pressure, the victim transferred the amount to multiple bank accounts provided by the scammers.
Following the victim’s complaint, police investigations led to the arrest of Sankar Ganesh, 46, from Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, who provided the bank account to the scammers in exchange for a 10% commission. Another accused, Elanchezhiyan Sathiyavel, 45, from Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, collected account details from Sankar Ganesh and supplied them to the main fraudsters. The key suspects—Jesmin Mondal, Sachin, Muthukumar, and Saleem—are currently absconding, and police efforts to apprehend them are ongoing.
Five Arrested in Kerala for ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam
In a separate case, the Cyberabad Cyber Crimes Police arrested five men from Kerala for defrauding a 66-year-old retired government employee through a similar scam.
The accused falsely informed the victim that her Aadhaar card had been used to create an SBI account involved in a money laundering case, making her a suspect. They further convinced her that she could face imprisonment of 3 to 7 years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh unless she cooperated. Out of fear, the victim transferred Rs 28,68,504.67 to accounts provided by the scammers.
A police investigation traced the perpetrators to Kerala, leading to arrests on February 17 and 19 in Meppadi (Wayanad) and Kondotti (Malappuram). The arrested individuals were identified as Hamza, 44, Mustafa, 50, Hensily Joseph, 45, V P Manikandan, 56, and Ashif Ali Peringadakkad, 34. The mastermind, identified as Babu, remains at large, and police are actively searching for him.
Hamza, a bike mechanic, allegedly supplied over 30 mule bank accounts to Babu, facilitating transactions totaling over Rs 2 crore. During the arrests, police seized four mobile phones, five bank passbooks, three chequebooks, and seven debit cards.
Cyberabad Police Urge Citizens to Stay Vigilant
The Cyberabad Cyber Crimes Police have urged citizens to remain cautious of cybercriminals impersonating officials to extort money.
“Be skeptical of urgent demands for money or personal information such as Aadhaar numbers, bank account details, or OTPs,” they warned.
“Always verify the source of any communication and confirm the information with the concerned authorities or institutions,” they added.
Citizens can report cyber crimes, including ‘digital arrest’ scams, through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or by calling the toll-free number 1930.
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