HYDERABAD: Three cybercrime cases reported in Cyberabad have collectively resulted in losses of over ₹16 lakh, with victims falling prey to fake investment schemes, sextortion, and a fraudulent dating service, police said.
In the first case, a 40‑year‑old private employee from Chandanagar lost ₹11.99 lakh to a fake international trading platform. He was added to a WhatsApp group on January 28 by one Piyush Sharma, who claimed to be an investment banker. After initial gains on a platform called “Universal Account ALUA,” the victim invested larger sums in March. The platform showed virtual profits and IPO allocations but kept demanding payments, including ₹13.08 lakh, to allow withdrawals. He realised the fraud after continuous demands.
In another case, a 24‑year‑old software engineer from Ayyappa Society, Madhapur, alleged sextortion after receiving a WhatsApp video call on March 15 from an unknown woman who appeared nude and asked him to undress. Soon after, a male caller sent an edited video and threatened to circulate it. The video was shared with his Instagram contacts, and out of fear, he transferred ₹1.8 lakh. The accused also obtained his father’s number through screen sharing and demanded another ₹3.6 lakh. The victim then approached the police.
In the third case, a 65‑year‑old retired government employee from Gachibowli was cheated of ₹2.47 lakh by fraudsters posing as representatives of a dating service offering “free chat and meetings” with women. He first received an SMS on February 27 and was asked to pay ₹1,550 as registration fee. Later, he was shown photographs of women and asked to select profiles, followed by demands for ₹17,800 as “member service charges.” The fraudsters continued to demand payments under various pretexts, including membership ID, hotel booking, cancellation and clearance charges. He transferred amounts totalling ₹2,47,350 before realising it was a fraud.
Police said investigation into all three cases is underway.
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