Hyderabad Senior Citizens Lose Rs 102 Crore to Cyber Scammers in 19 Months

Senior citizens across Hyderabad lost Rs 102.02 crore to cybercriminals between January 2025 and July 31, 2026, according to official data from the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police Station. A total of 403 cases involving victims above 60 years of age were registered during this 19-month period, with severe financial losses reported in localities including Jubilee Hills.

In one major incident, a 75-year-old retired government employee residing in Jubilee Hills lost Rs 96 lakh after responding to a WhatsApp message offering a part-time job. Fraudsters built his confidence through initial small tasks and payments before moving him to a Telegram group. They promised high returns through foreign exchange trading and displayed fake profits on a fabricated platform, ultimately extracting Rs 96 lakh from him under the pretext of withdrawal and processing fees.

In another recorded case, a 70-year-old retired gazetted officer received a video call from a scammer posing as Mumbai Police officer Anoop Kumar Sharma. The caller threatened the victim with arrest in a fake money laundering case. Using forged official documents, the fraudster convinced the retired officer to transfer Rs 85 lakh in a single Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transaction for account verification.

Digital arrest scams caused the largest financial damages, accounting for Rs 31.93 crore across 69 cases. In these operations, fraudsters impersonated officials from agencies including the police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Customs, using video calls to frighten elderly victims into transferring funds.

Trading frauds were another significant threat, with 113 cases resulting in over Rs 5.88 crore in losses after victims were lured with false promises of stock market and foreign exchange returns. Additionally, 115 cases of One Time Password (OTP) fraud led to losses of Rs 4.94 crore, while 22 investment scams caused damages of Rs 2.79 crore. Dating frauds and honey traps caused over Rs 70 lakh in losses.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar urged senior citizens not to fall prey to fraudulent calls and online offers. He clarified that there is no provision for a "digital arrest" under Indian law and confirmed that no government agency demands money through phone or video calls.