Six cybercriminals have been arrested in connection with six cases, including investment scams, loan application scams and part-time job scams, which were unearthed during a week-long raid by the Malkajgiri police’s cyber crime branch. The arrests took place between February 7 and 13, with investigators following the money trail across multiple states including Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The police also secured refunds worth ₹16.9 lakh to the victims through court orders.
In one investment fraud case, police traveled to Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and arrested Gummadi Rambabu for acting as an account holder for mullahs and facilitating transfers of fraudulent funds. The victim was added to a Facebook group called “AZ70 Market Radar Station,” where administrators offered stock tips and investment training. After fake profits were shown on the trading platform, the victim was asked to transfer Rs 5.20 lakh, which was routed through the bank account of the accused.
In another case, the police arrested Santosh Chandrakant Gaikawad in Mumbai for his role in a large-scale investment scam. The victim joined a WhatsApp group and was convinced to invest through a trading app that falsely claimed regulatory credentials. After being shown fictitious daily profits and encouraged to invest in the IPO, the victim invested ₹87.65 lakh, mostly through loans. When he tried to withdraw funds, he was asked to pay additional fees before the communication stopped.
In a separate investment fraud case linked to a WhatsApp group named ‘Dream Chasers Together 371’, three accused from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, identified as Momin Arham Rais Ahmed, Mohd Qais Mustaque Shaikh, Momin Hina Imran Ahmed, were arrested for running mule accounts and transferring siphoned funds. The complainant was initially allowed to withdraw a small amount to build confidence before being defrauded of over ₹65,000 through repeated requests for deposits and service charges.
Police also arrested Katravath Nithin from Mahabubnagar in connection with the loan application scam. The victim was lured via Instagram by fraudsters posing as loan company representatives and convinced to share personal and banking details before being forced to pay over ₹2,000 under the guise of a security deposit and processing fees. Investigators found that funds were funneled through accounts set up by associates who received kickbacks.
Officials urged the public to exercise caution when investing online or responding to unsolicited loan offers and advised citizens to verify investment platforms through official regulators, not share personal or banking information on unverified websites, and report suspected fraud immediately to the nearest police station or through the National Cybercrime Helpline.
Published – 14 Feb 2026 20:39 IST