Hyderabad Police Warn of Hybrid Cyber Fraud Targeting Senior Citizens

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar has warned the public against a new form of hybrid cyber fraud in which criminal gangs combine mobile phone theft with cybercrime techniques to siphon money from victims' bank accounts. Investigations by the cybercrime wing revealed that these organised gangs specifically target senior citizens and individuals with limited technical knowledge.

Police have arrested three suspects and recovered five stolen mobile phones in connection with the fraudulent operations.

According to Sajjanar, gang members identify elderly smartphone users in crowded public areas, including bus stations, railway stations, and RTC buses. The perpetrators observe the victims entering their screen lock patterns, PINs, or passwords before creating a distraction to steal their devices.

If the stolen phone remains locked, the criminals employ social engineering tactics. When the victim calls their stolen device, gang members answer while posing as bus conductors, drivers, or good Samaritans claiming the lost phone has been found. Under the pretext of verifying ownership, they convince the victims to disclose their screen lock password.

Once the device is unlocked, the fraudsters search the phone's photo gallery, notes, messages, and WhatsApp chats to locate sensitive information, including photographs of debit and credit cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, bank documents, and saved PINs. Using the stolen SIM card and incoming one-time passwords, the gang resets banking passwords and UPI PINs to transfer funds out of the victims' accounts.

Police noted that the stolen money is routed through digital wallets, online gaming platforms, and mule accounts prior to withdrawal to avoid detection. The gangs operate in specialised teams responsible for identifying targets, stealing handsets, extracting passwords, moving funds, and cashing out proceeds.

Commissioner Sajjanar advised citizens never to share screen lock passwords, OTPs, or UPI PINs with anyone. He also urged people to avoid storing sensitive financial details and identity documents in phone galleries or notes applications. Victims of mobile theft should immediately block their SIM cards, contact their banks to freeze digital banking access, and block their handsets through the Central Equipment Identity Register portal.