Malkajgiri police arrest seven in four cyber fraud cases

The cyber crime wing of the Malkajgiri police detected four cases between February 15 and February 21, 2026, leading to the arrest of seven offenders in connection with matrimonial and investment frauds that had pan-India links. The police also facilitated refund of ₹31,72,966 to victims through orders of the competent court.

In the first case, three persons identified as Thorti Shashi Kumar, Thorthi Vamshi and Gampala Sravan were arrested in connection with a matrimonial fraud in which fake Facebook and matrimonial profiles were created in the names of women to cheat victims. The prime accused lured a man through a social media profile under the name ‘Sonia’, sought money on the pretext of illness and later introduced another fictitious woman as a prospective bride. The victim was threatened with a fabricated death case and induced to transfer ₹32,36,385 through multiple transactions. The accused were traced to Ramakrishnapuram in Mancherial district, where they were found to have facilitated the transfer of funds through bank accounts.

In the second case, Mir Atiq Hussain Khan was arrested for supplying bank accounts to fraudsters in an investment scam. A victim was promised two to three times higher returns on investments by a woman identifying herself as ‘Rachana’. Between August and October 2025, he invested ₹49,50,000 based on fabricated profit statements. When he attempted to withdraw the money, he was asked to pay additional charges and subsequently lost contact with the fraudsters.

In the third case, two identified as Kedari Krishna Kannaiah and Anakapally Srikanth, were arrested for supporting an online investment fraud by arranging bank accounts to route cheated funds. A woman was lured through a work-from-home offer circulated on Telegram by a person posing as an employee of ‘Amazon Finance’. She was persuaded to invest in online trading packages and under various pretexts such as transaction errors and taxes, transferred ₹37,52,867 in 23 transactions. She received only ₹10,127 in return, resulting in a net loss of ₹37,42,470.

In the fourth case, Maddugari Chandrakanth was arrested in connection with a matrimonial fraud in which a fake profile was created on a matrimonial website. He contacted the victim in 2024, gained her trust by promising marriage and posing as a businessman, sending fabricated documents and using a VPN service to conceal his identity. Between December 2025 and February 2026, the victim transferred ₹37,75,000 to his and his wife’s bank accounts.

Police have cautioned the public against trusting unknown callers, social media advertisements and online job or investment offers promising unusually high returns. Renting or selling bank accounts is illegal and facilitates cybercrime, officials said, advising citizens to verify investment platforms through authorised regulators and to avoid sharing personal or banking details with unverified sources.

In case of suspected fraud, the public has been urged to report immediately to the nearest police station, lodge a complaint at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, or call the helpline number 1930.