Hyderabad cyber crime police arrest 36 in five States, recover ₹49 lakh in June crackdown - The HinduUpdated - July 08, 2026 07:34 pm IST - HYDERABADThirty-six persons across five States were arrested by the cyber crimes wing of the Hyderabad police in connection with 14 cybercrime cases during special operations carried out in June, and ₹48.98 lakh was recovered and refunded to victims.According to the police, the arrests followed multiple investigations launched after complaints were received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The operations led to the registration of 52 FIRs during the month.Of the 36 accused, 22 were involved in investment fraud cases, five in social media-related offences, six in matrimonial fraud and three in job fraud. Geographically, 26 accused were apprehended from Telangana, four from Maharashtra, two each from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi.Police also seized eight mobile phones, six debit cards, three SIM cards, two cheque books and a bank passbook used in the offences.Officials said the ₹48.98 lakh refunded to victims came from 24 cyber fraud cases involving cumulative losses of more than ₹5.08 crore. Trading fraud accounted for the highest number of cases, with eight complaints involving losses of ₹70.70 lakh, of which ₹10.56 lakh was recovered. Six OTP fraud cases saw complete recovery of the entire ₹15.88 lakh lost by victims.Two ‘digital arrest’ cases resulted in losses of ₹20.29 lakh, with ₹12.04 lakh restored, while two job fraud cases involving ₹6.95 lakh led to recoveries of ₹2.39 lakh. Two investment fraud cases accounted for losses of ₹17.09 lakh, while a dating fraud case involved ₹14.66 lakh. Police also recovered funds in an APK fraud case and a fake customer care fraud case, the latter involving a loss of ₹3.63 crore.Separately, the Zonal Cyber Cells processed 2,288 NCRP petitions during June, registering 287 FIRs, arresting 10 persons in nine cases and facilitating refunds of ₹1.08 crore to victims.In one of the month’s major breakthroughs, investigators cracked a trading fraud in which a Hyderabad resident lost ₹1.22 crore after being lured through WhatsApp with promises of institutional stock market guidance and high returns. The fraudsters later demanded an additional ₹35 lakh, claiming it was required to release IPO shares, prompting the victim to approach the police.The investigation led to the arrest of four accused identified as G. Vishnu Sai, 32, businessman, resident of New Bowenpally, Hyderabad; Syed Sadiq Ali, 34, freelancer, resident of Tolichowki, Hyderabad; Beduduri Srikanth Reddy, 31, private employee, resident of Marthahalli, Bengaluru and native of Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh and Jangam Ravi Kumar, 36, businessman, resident of Champapet, Rangareddy district.Police seized three mobile phones, six debit cards, three SIM cards, two cheque books and a bank passbook during the operation.The Cyber Patrol Enforcement unit also intensified its online surveillance during June, identifying 280 Facebook and Instagram profiles that were running 310 paid advertisements promoting illegal betting, fake investment schemes, multi-level marketing operations and online child exploitation. Officials said the profiles also circulated referral links and deepfake videos of well-known personalities to lure victims into fraudulent investment and betting platforms.All 280 profiles were reported to the respective social media platforms and taken down. Police also registered one FIR against a promoter during the month. Since the cyber patrol initiative began, authorities have facilitated the removal of 958 social media profiles and 2,517 paid advertisements linked to illegal betting, online gaming and fake investment scams, resulting in eight FIRs against promoters.Meanwhile, the C-MITRA victim assistance initiative made 1,247 calls to cybercrime victims during June and registered 225 Zero FIRs to expedite legal action.Advising citizens to remain vigilant, police urged the public to avoid joining unverified investment groups on messaging and social media platforms, refrain from downloading APK files received through messages, beware of digital arrest scams and verify requests for money even if they appear to come from known contacts. Victims of cyber fraud have been urged to report incidents immediately through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to improve the chances of freezing and recovering stolen funds.Published - July 08, 2026 07:33 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }