A focused enforcement drive in February led the Hyderabad, India Cyber Crime unit to detain 117 suspects tied to large-scale online fraud, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrests span 16 states and relate to 1,081 cases across India, including 74 cases registered in the city. During the month, police recovered and refunded Rs 34.76 lakh to victims of scams reported in January. The operation, carried out under the code name Operation Octopus, identified a range of offences: 63 trading and investment frauds, 6 digital arrests, 4 OTP frauds and 1 social media scam. The Cyber Crime PS in the city registered 78 FIRs during the period.
Investigators said accounts linked to the arrested persons showed transactions of about Rs 139 crore. Seized items include Rs 36,00,000 in cash, 211 mobile phones, 26 laptops, 115 cheque books, 141 SIM cards, 54 debit cards, 56 shell stamps, a cash-counting machine, 152 passbooks, 5 trade licences, 6 audit reports and 3 ledgers.
Meanwhile, the National Cyber Reporting Platform logged 2,963 complaints that resulted in 461 FIRs. Zonal cyber units arrested 11 more people nationwide and secured an additional refund of Rs 24,10,741 for victims.
The police’s continuous digital patrol also flagged 124 profiles on social media platforms that ran 539 paid ads promoting illegal online gaming and betting. Srinivasulu, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT), said these adverts targeted youth with promises of easy money and bonuses; all identified profiles have been reported and taken down.
Victim support continued through community outreach: the C-Mitra initiative provided assistance via 2,396 calls and helped register 257 Zero FIRs. Authorities warned citizens to stay alert against fake investment groups, malicious APK files and impersonation scams.
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