The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested six individuals in a coordinated inter-state operation linked to multiple high-value cyber frauds that caused losses exceeding Rs16 crore to victims in Hyderabad.
Simultaneous raids in Kerala and Bengaluru led to the arrests of three accused in each location. Among them were five bank account holders and one agent who facilitated the movement of funds for international cybercrime networks.
In one case registered in December 2024, a senior citizen woman was defrauded of Rs5.66 crore by fraudsters impersonating officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the CBI, and the RBI. The victim was forced to remain under virtual surveillance via Skype and coerced into transferring large sums through RTGS over several weeks. Investigations revealed that all documents provided to the victim were forged.
Renju Pathakku, 30, a businessman from Kerala, was arrested for providing his company’s bank account as a mule account. A mobile phone was seized from him.
In a similar ‘digital arrest’ case, a senior citizen man was cheated of Rs7.12 crore through WhatsApp calls and phone calls impersonating police officers. Arun Sreenivas, 41, and Sanal V Menon, 48, from Kerala were arrested for allowing their bank accounts to receive fraud proceeds, earning commissions in return. Mobile phones linked to the fraud were also seized.
In another case, a Begumpet businessman lost ₹3.4 crore over 22 days through a fake trading platform. Three accused in Bengaluru—V. Jayaprakash (43), Balaraju (51), and Balaraju G. (55)—were arrested for providing company bank accounts and mobile devices to route money to the main fraudsters. Investigators are tracking other absconding participants.
