A nationwide cyber fraud crackdown by Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police has led to the arrest of 47 people across 7 states. The action targeted networks linked to multiple forms of online fraud and followed complaints received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Police said the arrests were linked to 36 cybercrime cases. During August, the Cyber Crime Police Station received several complaints and registered 65 FIRs.
The arrests were made in Telangana (15), Andhra Pradesh (14), Delhi (8), Maharashtra (4), Karnataka (4), Haryana (1) and Uttar Pradesh (1).
Investment and trading fraud made up the largest share of the cases.
”Of those arrested, 16 were linked to investment fraud, 12 to trading fraud and 7 to social media-related offences. Others were allegedly involved in OTP, impersonation, job, credit card, APK and advertisement frauds,” said officials.
During the operations, police seized 28 mobile phones, 3 cheque books, 3 SIM cards, 1 debit card, 1 laptop, 1 router, 1 hard disk and 1 Apple iPad.
Recovering victims’ lost money was another major focus of the crackdown.
”Rs 99.79 lakh was refunded to victims during August through different recovery and restoration efforts,” officials added.
The total reported loss in the 34 cases covered under the refund details was around Rs 17.78 crore.
In one trading fraud case, a Hyderabad resident reportedly lost Rs 25.50 lakh after losing his mobile phone while travelling by bus. Police arrested 3 people in connection with the case and seized 4 mobile phones.
Cyber police also stepped up online surveillance during August. Officers identified 231 social media profiles linked to misleading or unlawful promotions, including fraudulent investment schemes, betting, fake job offers and other frauds.
Police said all 231 profiles were reported to the respective platforms and removed.
Under the ongoing cyber-patrol programme, 1,317 social media profiles and 2,573 paid advertisements promoting illegal betting, online gaming and fake investment websites have been identified and removed so far.
Police have also registered 9 FIRs against promoters, with further investigation underway.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.