Malkajgiri Police arrests six cyber criminals in week-long crackdown; ₹16.9 lakh refunded to victims

Six cyber criminals were arrested in connection with six cases, including investment fraud, loan app fraud and part-time job scams, detected during a week-long crackdown by the cyber crimes wing of the Malkajgiri Police. The arrests were made between February 7 and 13, with investigators tracing money trails across multiple states including Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh .

The police also secured refunds worth ₹16.9 lakh to victims through court orders .

In one investment fraud case, officers travelled to Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and arrested Gummadi Rambabu for acting as a mule account holder and facilitating transfers of cheated funds . The victim had been added to a Facebook group titled “AZ70 Market Radar Station”, where the administrators offered stock tips and investment training. After being shown false profits on a trading platform, the victim was induced to transfer Rs 5.20 lakh, which was routed through the accused’s bank account .

In another case, police arrested Santosh Chandrakant Gaikawad in Mumbai for his role in a large-scale investment fraud. The victim had joined a WhatsApp group and was persuaded to invest through a trading application falsely claiming regulatory credentials. After being shown fabricated daily profits and encouraged to invest in IPOs, the victim invested ₹87.65 lakh, largely through loans. When he attempted to withdraw funds, he was asked to pay additional charges before communication ceased .

In a separate investment fraud case linked to a WhatsApp group named “Dream Chasers Together 371”, three accused from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, identified as Momin Arham Rais Ahmed, Mohd Qais Mustaque Shaikh, Momin Hina Imran Ahmed, were arrested for operating mule accounts and transferring siphoned funds . The complainant was initially allowed to withdraw a small amount to build trust before being defrauded of over ₹65 lakh through repeated demands for deposits and service fees.

Police also arrested Katravath Nithin from Mahabubnagar in connection with a loan app fraud . The victim was lured through Instagram by fraudsters posing as representatives of loan companies and was persuaded to share personal and banking details before being made to pay over ₹2 lakh under the pretext of security deposits and processing charges. Investigators found that the funds were routed through accounts arranged by associates who received commissions .

The officials urged the public to exercise caution while investing online or responding to unsolicited loan offers and advised citizens to verify investment platforms through official regulators, avoid sharing personal or banking details on unverified websites, and report suspected fraud immediately to the nearest police station or through the national cybercrime helpline.