Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad have arrested 47 people across seven states in connection with 36 cybercrime cases, following a dedicated crackdown on fraud networks operating well beyond Telangana's own borders.
Where the Arrests Were Made
The arrests spanned Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, 15 in Telangana, 14 in Andhra Pradesh, eight in Delhi, four each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, and one each in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The 36 cases were registered based on complaints received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, and during the month the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police Station received a substantial volume of complaints overall, registering 65 FIRs in total.
What Kinds of Fraud Were Involved
Investment and trading frauds accounted for the largest share of cases linked to those arrested. Of the 47 people taken into custody, 16 were connected to investment fraud, 12 to trading fraud, and 7 to social media-related offences. The remainder were allegedly involved in a mix of OTP fraud, impersonation, job fraud, credit card fraud, APK-related offences, and advertisement fraud, illustrating just how varied cybercrime tactics have become, even within a single coordinated crackdown.
What Police Recovered
During the operations, police seized 28 mobile phones, three cheque books, three SIM cards, one debit card, one laptop, one router, one hard disk, and one Apple iPad. Investigators say a major focus of the entire drive was recovering money already lost by victims, not just making arrests.
₹99.79 Lakh Returned to Victims
Police say ₹99.79 lakh was refunded to victims during August through various recovery and restoration efforts. The total reported loss across the 34 cases covered under these refund details came to around ₹17.78 crore, meaning the amount recovered, while significant, still represents a relatively small fraction of what was actually lost.
One notable case involved a Hyderabad resident who reportedly lost ₹25.50 lakh in a trading fraud after his mobile phone went missing while travelling by bus, presumably giving fraudsters access to sensitive information or apps on the device. Police arrested three people in connection with this case and seized four mobile phones.
231 Fraudulent Social Media Profiles Taken Down
Cyber police also stepped up online surveillance through August, identifying 231 social media profiles allegedly involved in misleading or unlawful promotions, including fraudulent investment and betting schemes, fake job offers, and other deceptive campaigns. All 231 profiles were reported to their respective platforms and subsequently taken down.
The Scale of the Broader Online Monitoring Effort
As part of an ongoing cyber-patrol programme, police identified 13,317 social media profiles and 2,573 paid advertisements promoting illegal betting, online gaming, and fake investment websites, a scale that underlines just how much fraudulent content circulates online at any given time. Nine FIRs have also been registered against the promoters behind these campaigns, with further investigation continuing.
FAQs
Q1. How many people were arrested, and across how many states?
47 people were arrested across seven states: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Q2. What types of fraud were most common among those arrested?
Investment fraud (16 people) and trading fraud (12 people) accounted for the largest share, followed by social media-related offences and a mix of OTP, impersonation, job, credit card, APK, and advertisement fraud.
Q3. How much money was returned to victims?
₹99.79 lakh was refunded during August, against a total reported loss of around ₹17.78 crore across the 34 cases covered under the refund details.
Q4. What broader online monitoring took place alongside the arrests?
Police identified 13,317 social media profiles and 2,573 paid advertisements promoting illegal betting, gaming, and fake investment schemes, with 231 fraudulent profiles taken down and nine FIRs registered against promoters.