– B. sainath Reddy of Bengaluru was arrested for defrauding a Troop Bazaar-based woman of ₹3.79 lakh via a fake trading platform called ‘Block Trading.’
– Victim joined the scam through Facebook ads and whatsapp groups impersonating financial advisors.
– Believed platformS legitimacy after withdrawing small profits but was later coerced into paying a 30% ‘profit tax,’ leading too loss of contact with scammers.
– Reddy linked to banking accounts used for scams across seven states,involving at least 11 cases.
– Sourav S, a private employee from Chitradurga, Karnataka, targeted an elderly woman (76) in Secunderabad using false claims about her Aadhaar card’s involvement in human trafficking allegations.
– Posing as officials (CBI and Bengaluru police), scammers manipulated her into transferring ₹40.5 lakh using forged documents like fake Supreme Court orders via WhatsApp calls.
– Sourav connected to seven similar cases across four states and managed multiple fraudulent accounts.
The arrests mark progress by Hyderabad’s cyber crime wing in addressing complex multi-state online fraud schemes. These incidents highlight how vulnerable sections of society-especially women and the elderly-remain prime targets for cyber fraud due to inadequate awareness or technical familiarity. the use of advanced digital tactics like fake platforms and forged official documents underscores how tech-savvy crimes exploit misplaced trust in technology.
While these scams spread across several states, thier resolution necessitates stronger interstate collaboration among law enforcement agencies alongside increased public awareness campaigns on safe digital practices.Policymakers may explore tighter regulations around online advertisements promoting investment schemes or improve mechanisms to verify official communication channels like WhatsApp messaging.
The broader implication is India’s need for robust deterrence mechanisms against such crimes-a combination of legal reform targeting account facilitators and user education will help safeguard citizens’ finances amid rising cyber vulnerabilities.Read more