Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) officials rescued an octogenarian doctor and his family in Bhadrachalam after they were trapped for three days by cyber crooks posing as CBI officers.
The victims were identified as Drs. Buddharaju Subbaraju, 80, who runs Neela Nursing Home, his daughter-in-law and his minor granddaughter.
TGCSB director Shikha Goel said the perpetrators contacted Dr Subbaraja on November 20 through WhatsApp video calls and claimed that a bank account opened with his Aadhaar in Mumbai was linked to more than a hundred criminal cases.
“The fraudsters forced the family to go on video calls round the clock and ordered them not to talk to anyone saying that they were under surveillance,” the officer said.
The gang collected complete banking information, including details of deposits and fixed deposits, and even made the family breach the FD and prepare to transfer the money.
“When the family stopped visiting the hospital, the assistant became suspicious and questioned them repeatedly before alerting the Kothagudem District Cyber Crime Coordination Center DSP Ashok Babu on November 23. The officer along with Inspector Jitender reached the residence the same night and broke contact with the fraudsters, preventing a major loss,” the officer said, adding that a technical investigation was underway.
Police analyze IP addresses, call routing paths and device identifiers and coordinate with service providers and national cybercrime platforms to trace those behind the operation.
Meanwhile, police urged citizens to remain vigilant and reminded that no agency is making digital arrests or seeking money transfers as part of an investigation. Cyber fraud can be reported by 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Portal.
Published – 24 Nov 2025 20:46 IST
