The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have successfully busted a gang that defrauded a 60-year-old pensioner out of Rs28.68 lakh. The fraudsters, claiming to be law enforcement officers, had digitally arrested the victim and falsely accused her of being involved in a money laundering case.
The incident began when the victim received a phone call from a number that falsely informed her that her Aadhaar ID had been used to open a bank account in Mumbai, linked to a money laundering scheme. The caller claimed that Rs3 crore in transactions had been conducted from the account, threatening her with a fine of Rs50 lakh and possible arrest. In fear, the pensioner transferred ₹28,68,504.67 to the fraudsters in order to avoid trouble.
Upon realizing she had been duped, the victim approached the police and lodged a complaint. The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police began their investigation, which led to the arrest of five individuals involved in the scam, all hailing from Kerala. These arrested suspects have been identified as Hamza, Mustafa C.T., Hensily Joseph, V.P. Manikandan, and Ashif Ali Peringadakkad.
The investigation revealed that Hamza, a bike mechanic, played a central role in facilitating the fraudulent transactions. He had provided more than 30 bank accounts to the gang. These accounts were obtained by Mustafa and V.P. Manikandan and used to withdraw the funds. The total amount of money that was withdrawn and handed over to the main accused, Babu (who is currently absconding), exceeded Rs2 crore.
The police are continuing their efforts to apprehend the main accused, Babu, while the arrested individuals are in custody and facing charges related to cyber fraud and money laundering.
