Cyber fraudsters fake Zakat offers to cheat imams in Hyderabad Old City and Telangana

Cyber fraudsters posing as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) targeted mosque leaders across Telangana, cheating at least two imams in Hyderabad's Old City, including in the Edi Bazar neighbourhood, with fake offers of Zakat donations on August 10 and August 11. Fraudsters also attempted to dupe several other religious figures in Jagtial and Adilabad districts using similar tactics over the same period.

In Edi Bazar, an imam received a call around 10:40 am on August 11 from a man claiming to be an NRI from Canada. The caller cited the name of a mutual acquaintance to gain the imam's trust, offering funds for mosque construction and poor orphans under the guise of Zakat. Believing the caller, the imam transferred Rs 77,000 in three instalments. After realising he had been tricked when the promised donation failed to arrive, he contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 within an hour. His bank account was subsequently frozen, and the money was later returned through another bank account.

A second imam in the Old City fell victim to a similar scheme on August 10. Fraudsters sent him a fake text message indicating an Rs 80,000 deposit into his account and requested that he send back Rs 50,000. Trusting the deposit message, the imam borrowed Rs 50,000 from his brother and transferred the money, but never received the claimed Rs 80,000.

Targeting attempts were also reported outside Hyderabad. On August 11, Maulana Majid Ali Nadvi, the Imam-o-Khateeb of Masjid Zehra in Jagtial district, was contacted by a fluent Urdu-speaking caller offering a Zakat donation of Rs 1.50 lakh. The caller requested his bank account details and demanded money by citing international transaction tax rules. In Adilabad, Khizr Ahmed Yafi, a trustee of Zohra Mosque, received a similar call but grew suspicious and did not comply with the demands. Other imams targeted in Adilabad did not lose money because they lacked funds in their accounts.

According to a cybercrime officer, the fraudsters monitor victims' social media accounts to gather names of their friends, using those references to build confidence before demanding money. Callers typically claim to be NRIs living in countries such as Canada or Australia and offer large donations before requesting transfers under various pretexts.