Hyderabad Police Arrest 3 in Interstate Hybrid Cyber Fraud Racket

Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have arrested three key members of an interstate syndicate involved in a "hybrid cyber fraud" racket that siphoned over Rs 20 lakh from victims, Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said on Wednesday.

Police seized five mobile phones allegedly used in the offences following the crackdown on the organised gang. Following the arrests, Commissioner Sajjanar issued a public advisory cautioning citizens against the emerging crime method, which combines physical pickpocketing with digital financial crimes.

According to preliminary investigations, the syndicate systematically targeted senior citizens, daily commuters, and technologically vulnerable individuals in crowded public transit areas. The gang operated across RTC buses, bus stations, railway platforms, and busy junctions throughout the city.

The accused allegedly identified commuters carrying smartphones and discreetly observed their screen-lock PINs, patterns, or passwords through shoulder surfing. After noting the security credentials, syndicate members created distractions and stole the devices from the victims' pockets or bags.

In cases where the accused were unable to unlock a stolen device, they answered incoming calls made by the victims to their lost numbers. Posing as RTC conductors or drivers, gang members claimed the device had been found on a bus and induced the victims to disclose their screen-lock credentials under the pretext of verifying ownership.

Once the gang obtained access to the unlocked devices, they searched photo galleries, WhatsApp media, and other applications for images of debit or credit cards, bank passbooks, and recorded PINs. Using the active SIM cards inside the stolen phones, the accused accessed UPI and mobile banking applications, intercepted one-time passwords (OTPs), reset banking credentials, and transferred money out of the victims' bank accounts.

Commissioner Sajjanar noted that the gang functioned as a structured syndicate, with specific roles assigned to different members for target scouting, physical theft, social engineering, technical exploitation, and money laundering.