In a major cybercrime bust, Hyderabad Police arrested three fraudsters involved in extorting Rs 1.92 crore from a 71-year-old senior citizen through a digital arrest scam.
The accused, Pandu Vinith Raj, G Thirupathaiah, and Gouni Vishwanatham, all Hyderabad residents, posed as officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They misled the victim into believing that a case had been registered against him for Aadhaar card misuse, showing a fake FIR and a photo of a Canara Bank ATM card over a video call. Between November 7 and 14, the victim transferred Rs 1,92,50,070 into accounts provided by the fraudsters.
Investigations revealed that Vinith Raj supplied the accounts, while Thirupathaiah and Vishwanatham were joint account holders. The main accused, Saneep alias Alex, remains absconding. Police noted that the trio is linked to five cybercrime cases across India, including two in Telangana.
Authorities have warned citizens about digital arrest scams, clarifying that no legal provision allows arrests via video call. Law enforcement agencies like the Police, CBI, ED, or Customs never demand fines, deposits, or money transfers over phone or UPI to clear one’s name. People are advised to protect their OTP, passwords, bank details, Aadhaar, and PAN information and report suspicious activities immediately.
