The Malkajgiri Cyber Crime Police cracked four cybercrime cases within a week, arresting seven individuals in a coordinated pan-India operation conducted between February 15 and February 21. Authorities also facilitated the recovery and court-ordered refund of Rs31,72,966 to multiple victims.
In one major case, three accused — Thorthi Shashi Kumar, Thorthi Vamshi, and Gampala Sravan — were arrested for allegedly cheating a man of Rs32.36 lakh through a carefully orchestrated online romance and extortion scheme.
How the Fraud Unfolded
The victim was initially approached on Facebook by a woman identifying herself as “Sonia.” After building trust within a week, she claimed to be suffering from a serious illness and urgently sought financial help. Believing her, the victim transferred substantial sums of money.
Later, Sonia introduced him to another fictitious identity named “Shruthi,” who promised marriage and requested additional funds for various personal needs.
The scam escalated when three associates — Manohar, Srikanth, and Ramcharan — contacted the victim, falsely claiming that Sonia had died. They accused him of being responsible for her death and threatened him with a police case, coercing him into transferring more money.
Following a detailed investigation, police tracked the money trail and arrested the key accused involved in the matrimonial and extortion fraud.
