Latest news with #CyberabadPolice
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Nine arrested for operating mule accounts of victims lodged in Gachibowli hotels
Nine individuals were arrested for their involvement in a large-scale cybercrime operation involving mule bank accounts used to facilitate fraudulent financial transactions. The arrests were carried out by the Special Operations Team (SOT) of Medchal in coordination with the cyber crime wing of the Cyberabad Police. Of the nine accused, Sumit Rathore and Manvendra Singh Rathore were residents of Rajasthan while Mohammed Nadeem Ur Rehman, MD. Nayeem Ur Rahaman, Md. Shaffi, S. Bharath, Telugu Mahesh, Abdul Khaled, and Jelpti Mahesh, were residents of Hyderabad. Investigations revealed that the gang was acting under the directions of an international cyber handler using the Telegram alias '@Jack.' They lodged victims in hotels near DLF in Gachibowli and collected their bank documents. A malicious APK file, functioning only on Samsung mobile phones, was installed to remotely access and control the accounts. To avoid detection, the accused would frequently shift hotel locations. Hotels were booked for a week at a time, and the agents orchestrating the fraud would travel from Rajasthan to Hyderabad to execute their plans. The police seized 16 mobile phones, one laptop, two cars, and ₹82,500 in cash. All accused have been remanded to custody, and further investigation is underway to trace other beneficiaries, digital infrastructure, and the identity of the handler '@Jack.' Police have urged the public to remain vigilant against suspicious emails, calls from purported bank or e-commerce representatives, and to report any unusual activity resembling a call centre in their locality. Residents are encouraged to contact their nearest cybercrime police station or dial 1930 for assistance.
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Hans India
Cops restore nearly Rs 1 crore to victims of cybercrime
Hyderabad: The Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police have made significant strides in combating cybercrime, successfully detecting 25 cases and apprehending 45 offenders from various states across India in July, up to the 22nd. Investigations have highlighted the widespread nature of these criminal networks. In a major win for victims, the Cybercrime unit successfully processed and obtained 153 refund orders from the courts in 40 cases, amounting to Rs 99,14,399. This substantial sum will be refunded to those who lost money to cyber fraudsters. Among the 45 individuals arrested, 17 were linked to trading fraud. Furthermore, nine offenders were apprehended for operating a cybercrime call centre that defrauded both US and Indian citizens; these individuals have been remanded to judicial custody. The arrested persons from West Bengal include Danish Alam, Saheb Ali, Mohammed Fahad Pervez, MD AamanAlam, Mohammed Mohsin, Farid Hossain, MD Shadab Alam, and Mohammad Sonu. The 25 cases detected encompass a range of cybercrimes: 10 trading fraud cases, one digital arrest fraud, four part-time job scams, five phishing fraud cases, and one case each of advertisement fraud, general cyber fraud, fake customer fraud, business fraud, and matrimony fraud. Authorities seized a considerable amount of evidence, including 9 laptops, 27 phones, 2 passbooks, and 6 debit and credit cards. The Cybercrime unit urges citizens to remain vigilant and take the following precautions: be extremely cautious of investment and trading scams that promise exceptionally high returns; always verify financial transactions before transferring any money; be highly sceptical of urgent demands for money or personal information such as Aadhaar numbers, bank account numbers, or One-Time Passwords (OTPs); always verify the source of communication and confirm information with the relevant authorities or institutions; block and report any suspicious numbers, particularly those demanding money or personal details; exercise caution with links received via messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or email; and report cyber frauds immediately by calling 1930 or visiting further updates, citizens are advised to follow the official communication channels of the Cyberabad Police.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Rs 2 crore phone haul: Cyberabad police's success story
Hyderabad: In a significant breakthrough, the Cyberabad Central Crime Station (CCS) has successfully recovered 827 stolen and lost mobile phones within a 45-day period, collectively valued at an estimated Rs 2 crore. This achievement marks the eighth phase of recovery operations, with the phones returned to their rightful owners today, Wednesday, at the Cyberabad Commissionerate, largely facilitated by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal. DCP Crimes A Muthyam Reddy confirmed the scale of the recovery, stating: 'In the last 45 days alone, we recovered 827 mobile phones.' He provided a zone-wise breakdown: Madhapur CCS – 180, Balanagar CCS – 174, Medchal CCS – 176, Rajendranagar CCS – 153, and Shamshabad CCS – 144. The DCP underscored the critical importance of promptly reporting lost or stolen mobile phones, either at the nearest police station or directly via the CEIR portal. He highlighted that mobile phones often contain sensitive personal data and hold considerable sentimental value, making timely recovery paramount. The CEIR portal, he noted, plays a vital role in preventing misuse and expediting recoveries. To date, Cyberabad Police have conducted eight phases of mobile phone recovery and distribution, resulting in a total of 6,233 lost or stolen mobile phones being recovered and successfully returned to their owners. DCP Muthyam Reddy urged citizens to fully utilise the CEIR portal, which is accessible nationwide across all states and union territories. He also cautioned the public to remain vigilant against cyber frauds and to avoid clicking on suspicious or unknown links. For cybercrime-related issues, he recommended contacting the national cybercrime helpline on 1930 or filing a complaint online at One grateful recipient shared their experience: 'I lost my phone while visiting my relative's house. It was a wedding gift from my son, so it had great emotional value. I lodged a complaint at the Balanagar Police Station. One month later, the police recovered my phone, and I received it at the CP office today. I sincerely thank the Cyberabad Police.' Another individual, an IT employee from Gachibowli, recounted: 'I work as an IT employee in Gachibowli and lost my phone at a vegetable market. I reported it to the police, and shortly after, I was informed that my phone had been found and would be returned. I truly appreciate the quick and efficient response of the Cyberabad Police.' The DCP commended the exceptional efforts of officers from the CCS, IT Cell, Social Media, and other departments for their outstanding work in recovering the mobile phones.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Betting apps case: Rana Daggubati seeks alternate date to appear before ED
Hyderabad: Actor Rana Daggubati has sought an alternate date to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in the case relating to alleged promotion of illegal betting apps. The Tollywood actor was issued notice to appear on Wednesday (July 23), but he communicated to the Central agency that he would not be able to appear as he was busy with a film shoot. The actor is reported to be busy with the film shoot in Tamil Nadu. The central agency is likely to issue a fresh notice to the actor with an alternate date for his appearance. The ED has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi in the case. Prakash Raj has been summoned on July 30. The ED has asked Vijaya Deverakonda to appear on August 6 while Manchu Lakshmi has been directed to appear on August 13. The four actors were among 29 celebrities booked by the ED on July 10 for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps. The central agency filed an ECIR against 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms, in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is based on five FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Film actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash and Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella are among those who have been booked by the ED. The names of TV actors, TV hosts and social media influencers like Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan. Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai and Bayya Sunny Yadav also figure in the list. Most of these celebrities were earlier booked by Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police. FIRs were registered against them at Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam police stations. The ED suspects endorsements of platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, Lotus365, and others involved laundering of large sums through paid promotions. When some of the actors were booked by Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police, they denied wrongdoing, claiming they ended contracts over ethical concerns. In March this year, Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj and others were booked by Cyberabad Police for allegedly promoting betting apps. They, however, clarified that they are not promoting any illegal app. While Rana Daggubati and Vijay Devarakonda stated that they endorsed only legally permitted online skill-based games, Prakash Raj said he did not renew a contract to promote an app in 2017 after realising that he should not have done it.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Nine arrested for operating fake call centre targeting Indians and Americans
Nine individuals were arrested by the Cyberabad Police for operating a fake call centre from a rented villa in Bachupally, targeting unsuspecting victims in both India and the United States under the guise of customer support representatives from reputed financial platforms including PayPal, Geek Squad, and other credit card companies. The operation was unearthed by the Medchal Special Operation Team (SOT) and cybercrime police following intelligence inputs. The arrested accused, all natives of Kolkata, West Bengal, were identified as Danish Alam, Md. Saheb Ali alias Sonu, Md. Fahad Pervez, Md. Aman Alam, Md. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Mohammed Mohsin, Farid Hussain, Md. Shadhab Alam, and Md. Sonu. They had relocated to Cyberabad with the promise of high salaries, commissions, and free accommodation. A few more suspects involved in the operation remain absconding, and efforts are underway to trace them. Investigations revealed that the gang was operating a full-fledged illegal call centre, receiving inbound VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls from victims using apps like Zoiper, X-Lite, and Microsoft Teams, which were triggered via phishing emails. These emails impersonated major platforms such as PayPal, Geek Squad, and credit card services, falsely warning recipients of unauthorised transactions. When the victims responded, the accused, trained to speak fluently in English using scripted dialogues, convinced them to install remote access tools such as AnyDesk. Once they accessed the victims' systems, they harvested sensitive data including bank credentials, transaction histories, and passwords. Victims, many of whom were senior citizens and women, were threatened with bogus criminal charges like drug trafficking or the leaking of personal photographs if they refused to cooperate. In some cases, the fraudsters impersonated police officers or judicial authorities to create panic and extract money. The gang also used fake banking apps, spoofed emails, and social engineering tactics for frauds. The police recovered 22 mobile phones, 10 laptops, multiple headsets, and a full VOIP call setup from the location. It was further revealed that the gang had recently shifted from another villa in SVS Aparna, Bachupally, after raising suspicion among residents. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, 2008. Police are in the process of identifying additional victims, recovering defrauded funds, and dismantling the digital infrastructure used by the group. The cybercrime police advised the public not to respond to suspicious emails or calls claiming to be from customer service teams. Verification should always be made through official sources, and any suspected cyber fraud should be reported immediately by dialling 1930 or contacting the nearest cybercrime police station.
