A series of cybercrime complaints received through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) has led to a major crackdown by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police. During special operations in August 2026, police arrested 47 people across 7 states in connection with 36 cybercrime cases. A total of 65 FIRs were registered from the complaints received.
Of the 47 arrests, 16 were linked to investment fraud, 12 to trading fraud, 7 to social media-related crimes, 3 each to OTP fraud and impersonation, and 2 each to job fraud, credit card fraud, APK file fraud and advertisement fraud.
The arrests were made across Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Police seized 28 mobile phones, 3 cheque books, 3 SIM cards, 1 debit card, 1 laptop, 1 router, 1 hard disk and 1 iPad. A total of Rs. 99.79 lakh was refunded to victims, said Additional Commissioner of Police, Crimes and SIT, M. Srinivasulu.
The Zonal Cyber Cells also received 2952 NCRP petitions. These resulted in 349 FIRs and 20 arrests linked to 16 cases. Victims received Rs. 41.05 lakh in refunds.
Digital monitoring and intelligence-based tracking also helped police identify 231 Facebook and Instagram profiles. These accounts were running 20 paid advertisements featuring videos involving minors and using abusive, vulgar, obscene or inappropriate language to gain views, likes, followers, subscribers and monetisation. Some were also linked to fraudulent schemes.
Police also found suspicious advertisements offering matrimonial services, private video calls and fake job opportunities. Such advertisements could lead users to make advance payments or share personal, financial or identity-related information.
The identified profiles, pages, links and advertisements were reported to the respective platforms. All 231 profiles were subsequently taken down to prevent further spread and protect users from online exploitation and fraud.
As part of ongoing cyber patrols, police have identified and removed 1317 social media profiles and 2573 paid advertisements promoting online gaming, illegal betting and fake investment websites targeting users in India. 9 FIRs have been registered against the promoters.
In August, the C-Mitra initiative made 2043 calls to victims for guidance and support. It also helped register 290 zero FIRs based on complaints received, supporting faster assistance and legal action.
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