Hyderabad Woman Defrauded of ₹42.7 Lakh in Sophisticated KBC Lottery Scam
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a formal cheating case after a 40-year-old woman from the upscale Somajiguda area reported losing a staggering sum of ₹42.7 lakh to an organized gang running a fraudulent Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) lottery scheme. The victim, exhausted by the ordeal, approached the authorities on Wednesday with a detailed written complaint outlining the sophisticated deception.
Modus Operandi: A Web of Deceit on WhatsApp
According to the police complaint, the fraudsters initially contacted the victim via WhatsApp. They falsely informed her that she had won an enormous prize of ₹1.3 crore in a KBC lucky draw. To lend credibility to their claim, the perpetrators sent the woman counterfeit promotional posters featuring Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. In a further attempt to convince her, they provided a fabricated State Bank of India cheque, ostensibly issued in her name for the full prize amount.
The scam did not stop there. The gang escalated their scheme by sending a fake Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) demand notice. This document coerced the victim into paying an additional ₹1.15 lakh to obtain a so-called "clearance certificate." Believing all the documents to be authentic, the woman, in a state of manipulated trust, began arranging the funds.
Financial Drain: 125 Transactions Over Two Years
To meet the fraudsters' relentless demands for processing charges, taxes, and security deposits, the victim resorted to borrowing money from friends and relatives. Between September 2023 and November 2025, she conducted a total of 125 separate bank transactions, funneling the money into multiple accounts specified by the accused. The cumulative financial loss amounted to ₹42.7 lakh.
Legal Action and Police Investigation
Upon receiving the complaint, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police swiftly registered a case. The charges have been filed under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, pertaining to identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources. Additionally, multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have been invoked, including:
- Section 318(4) for cheating
- Section 319(2) for cheating by personation
- Section 336(3) for forgery for the purpose of cheating
- Section 338 for forgery of a valuable security
- Section 340(2) for using a forged document as genuine
A senior police officer involved in the investigation provided crucial details: "The fraudsters operated using five different mobile numbers to avoid detection. A significant portion of the illicit funds was transferred to bank accounts held in the names of three primary suspects. Our cyber teams are currently analyzing the intricate web of transaction details to conclusively identify and apprehend all the accused individuals involved in this elaborate scam."
This case highlights the increasing sophistication of online financial frauds targeting citizens, often leveraging popular brand names like KBC to exploit trust. Authorities urge the public to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited prize-winning messages and to verify any such claims through official channels before transferring money.
