In a major cybercrime bust, Hyderabad police have arrested a 27-year-old Rapido driver, Jala Sai Ram Reddy, for allegedly extorting money from unsuspecting victims by posing as a cybercrime officer. The accused, a native of Karimnagar district in Telangana, was apprehended by officers of the S.R. Nagar Police Station on Wednesday following a tip-off from a victim complaint.
Investigators revealed that Reddy created fake profiles of women on social media platforms, particularly ShareChat, to lure individuals into conversations and gain their trust. Once he secured their phone numbers, he allegedly called the victims pretending to be a cybercrime official, threatening them with arrest unless they paid fines. Many victims, fearing legal repercussions, transferred money through UPI and other digital payment methods. In some cases, he even instructed victims to reset their mobile phones to destroy digital evidence.
Assistant Commissioner of Police S.V. Raghavendra Rao stated that one student alone lost nearly Rs 1 lakh before filing a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which helped police trace the perpetrator. During interrogation, Reddy admitted to his crimes, and further investigation linked him to 44 similar cyber fraud cases across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
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Authorities discovered that the accused used multiple SIM cards, phones, bank accounts, and UPI scanners to carry out his operations. In addition, he misused the bank accounts of local shopkeepers to route stolen funds, making it harder to track the money. Police officials described him as a habitual offender who relied on deception and fear tactics to defraud people.
ACP Raghavendra Rao cautioned the public against such scams, emphasizing that law enforcement agencies never demand money over phone calls or digital platforms. Citizens are urged to report suspicious calls immediately to the nearest police station or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to prevent falling victim to similar crimes.
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