The Southeast Division cyber crime police arrested six individuals, including actress and assistant director Grishma Reddy, for their involvement in a cyber scam worth Rs. 56 lakh. The gang tricked an accountant of a private firm into transferring the large sum on December 6.
The arrested individuals are:
Grishma Reddy
N. Dinesh
Harath MS
VA Pawan Kumar
N. Sai Kumar
Yenumala
The scheme began when the gang contacted Vasudha Meghashyam Dighole, the firm’s accountant, posing as the MD of her company. Using a fake company logo and a convincing profile picture, they instructed her to transfer Rs. 56,00,100 as an advance deposit for a project. After transferring the funds, Vasudha called the real MD, only to discover that she had been scammed.
Upon receiving the complaint, the police traced the transaction and arrested Sai Kumar, the cab driver, who received the transferred money. Investigations revealed that the gang withdrew the money and purchased cryptocurrency, which they sold through a mobile app for a profit. Based on the confession of the suspects, the police arrested the remaining members of the gang and seized their mobile phones, an automobile, and cash totaling Rs. 56,600. Additionally, they froze a bank account where the gang had hoarded Rs. 5 lakh.
Three of the suspects were found to have committed similar offenses in the past. City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda praised the police team for cracking the case and warned the public about the increasing incidents of digital fraud. He emphasized that neither the police nor any investigating agencies have the authority to conduct “digital arrests” or request personal information over the phone. He urged people not to trust calls from unknown sources, especially those claiming to be from TRAI or the police.