Cyberabad Police Arrest 15 in Cybercrime Crackdown, Secure ₹2 Crore Refunds for Victims
The Cyberabad police's cyber crimes wing arrested 15 individuals in connection with seven cases across different states between June 18 and June 24. According to officials, the cases included four trading frauds, two 'digital arrest' frauds, and one job fraud.
During the week-long operation, the police facilitated refund orders worth ₹2.01 crore to victims in 136 cybercrime cases. A total of 542 refund orders were obtained through courts as part of efforts to recover money lost in online frauds.
One case involved a 'digital arrest' fraud where a victim was cheated of ₹15.15 lakh by fraudsters posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the police, and the Enforcement Directorate. Police said the victim was kept under 'digital arrest' for nearly three weeks, during which he was instructed not to contact family members, regularly share his location, and provide personal and banking details. Fearing arrest, he transferred ₹15.15 lakh through multiple UPI transactions to accounts specified by the fraudsters.
As part of the investigation, Cyberabad police arrested three individuals from Maharashtra: Rajan Sammi Sharma (also known as Dhanunjay Sharma or Raju Bhaiya), Shrawan Dhanraj Raut, and Kamlesh Rameshwar Maraskole. Investigators alleged that the trio created and supplied bank accounts used by cyber fraudsters to receive and route money in exchange for commissions.
Cyberabad police reiterated that no law enforcement agency, government department, CBI, ED, or TRAI conducts investigations through WhatsApp video calls or asks citizens to transfer money for verification purposes. They advised the public to verify suspicious communications independently and immediately report cyber frauds through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the cybercrime reporting portal.
