Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime police here arrested two people on Friday, November 15, for allegedly duping people on the pretext of offering them an online part-time job.
The accused, identified as Shri Krishna Babanrao Pawar (43) and Ramakant Jivan Dhanawate (30) from Kopargaon in Maharashtra’s Ahmadnagar, were allegedly involved in at least 140 such cases across India, of which nine pertained to Telangana.
The accused duo was arrested based on a complaint filed by a Hyderabad native, who alleged that he was scammed to the tune of Rs 1.61 lakh in a job scam via the Telegram app.
The complainant said he had received a message from a Telegram ID offering him a part-time job, for which he was told to get registered on their website and create an institutional account. He was also told to invest small amounts on the platform, for which he would receive returns.
As he initially recovered his money and his profits began to be displayed on the domain, he trusted the process and ended up investing a total amount of Rs. 1,61,378, expecting returns. However, he soon realised he was duped when the website began blocking his attempts to withdraw the funds.
The police apprehended the accused on Friday after receiving information that they had arrived in Gachibowli to open new bank accounts. Up to nine debit cards, 11 cheque books, three shell company stamps, 10 mobile phones, and a laptop were seized from them.
The accused have been booked under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 319(2) (cheating by personation), 336(3) (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), and 340(2) (forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Public advisory
Hyderabad City Dy. Commissioner of Police Dara Kavitha urged the public to stay cautious towards fraudulent phone calls or impersonators on online websites, and also not to invest in unauthorised websites/domains that lure people on the guise of high returns by investing little amounts sitting at home. To report cyber fraud, please contact 1930 or cyberpolice.gov.in
