Gang of three hailing from Guntur arrested in ‘digital arrest’ scam

Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police arrest gang running 'digital arrest' scam targeting victims nationwide, urging prompt reporting of cyber fraud.

Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested a gang of three men in connection with ‘digital arrest’ scam. The accused, identified as Thota Srinivasa Rao, Lam Jeevankumar, and Tammishetty Raghuveer, all hailing from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, had been running a scheme to extort money from unsuspecting victims.

The scam came to light when a Hyderabad resident, Veeraboina Sai Raj, received a phone call on November 28, 2024 from an individual posing as a police officer from Mumbai’s Kurla Police Station.

The caller, who introduced himself as Head Constable Sanjay Patil, falsely claimed that a case had been registered against the victim and that an illegal transaction of ₹25 lakh had been linked to his bank account.

The victim was instructed to join a Skype call, where the fraudster, appearing on video, demanded that he transfer his funds to verify his financial transactions. Under pressure, the victim took out a pre-approved loan from ICICI Bank and transferred a total of ₹3,57,998 to the fraudsters, believing he was complying with a legitimate police inquiry.

Investigations revealed that the accused were operating a nationwide scam using social media, WhatsApp, and Telegram to contact victims. “We found that the accused had links to similar fraud cases across India, including incidents in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Goa, and Odisha. During the arrests, we seized three mobile phones, multiple cheque books, bank passbooks, debit and credit cards, PAN cards, and receipt books,” said the police.

In another case, Cyber Crime Police arrested a Gujarat-based fraudster, Lalitkumar Jayswal, for his role in a stock trading scam. The victim was added to a WhatsApp group where members posted fake profit screenshots to lure investors. Convinced by the supposed success stories, the victim opened an equity trading account and invested ₹6,20,000 after being promised tenfold returns. Initially, the fraudsters allowed small withdrawals to build trust, but when the victim refused to invest further, they blocked him from accessing his funds and cut off all contact.

The accused, who had been involved in at least 16 fraud cases across India, including three in Telangana, employed deceptive tactics to manipulate victims. They used social media platforms and messaging apps to promote fraudulent investment schemes, convincing victims that they could double or triple their money in a short span. By displaying fictitious profits and offering discounts on stock purchases, they persuaded investors to deposit larger sums. However, once substantial amounts were invested, withdrawals were blocked, leaving victims with heavy financial losses.