Hyderabad Police Nab Engineering Dropout in Major Digital Arrest Scam
In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Cyberabad police have arrested a 26-year-old engineering dropout from Jagtial for orchestrating a sophisticated digital arrest scam that defrauded a senior citizen of 42 lakh earlier this year. The accused, identified as G Avinash, was apprehended on Friday after returning to his village, Katlakunta, on March 26.
Details of the Scam and Arrest
According to Cybercrime DCP T Sai Manohar, Avinash initially traveled to Cambodia last year for data entry work but was coerced into joining a cybercrime syndicate. "Later, he willingly started working for cybercrime gangs operating from Cambodia and began targeting Indians," the DCP revealed. Avinash posed as a law enforcement official and contacted a 66-year-old retired employee from Balanagar on January 27, threatening arrest in a fabricated human trafficking case.
Between January 28 and February 4, Avinash and his accomplices forced the victim to transfer 42 lakh. A case was registered on February 16 based on the victim's complaint, leading to an intensive investigation. Police traced a substantial portion of the illicit funds—24 lakh—to a bank account in Visakhapatnam.
Money Trail and Recoveries
While the primary account holder, Krishna, remains at large, police have arrested his associates, Dhanunjay Reddy of Visakhapatnam and Shashi Kumar of Jagtial, last month. The duo confessed to providing Krishna's bank account to Avinash for the scam. Of the 24 lakh routed through this account, Avinash took 12 lakh as his share, Krishna received 10 lakh, and the two middlemen got 1 lakh each.
Authorities recovered 12 lakh from Avinash upon his arrest. Police are actively monitoring his movements and are working to identify other bank account holders to recover the remaining stolen funds.
Public Warning and Prevention Tips
DCP Manohar issued a stern warning to the public, emphasizing that "there is nothing called digital arrest." He advised citizens to immediately inform police if they receive threatening calls from individuals posing as law enforcement. "Chances of full recovery are very high if you contact the '1930' helpline within one hour," he added, highlighting the importance of swift action in such cases.
This arrest underscores the growing threat of cybercrime syndicates operating from abroad and the critical need for public awareness to combat digital fraud effectively.
