Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) sleuths arrested a cyber fraudster for impersonating TDP’s NRI convenor at the Indo-Nepal border with assistance from the West Bengal police. This arrest marks the culmination of an extensive investigation into a series of fraudulent activities committed by the accused.
Konduri Rajesh (34), a resident of Rachavaripalli in Anantapur district, was tracked down following a multi-state investigation that spanned from Andhra Pradesh to Goa, Andaman Islands, and eventually Nepal. Rajesh, who was evading arrest, used multiple aliases and travelled extensively to avoid law enforcement. He was arrested near the Panitanki area in Darjeeling, West Bengal, after a 15-day investigation effort led by the CID’s cyber crime team.
The fraudster impersonated TDP’s NRI convenor and used the photograph of state HRD minister Nara Lokesh, as his WhatsApp display picture. Rajesh defrauded victims by claiming to offer medical assistance and financial help. His scam was primarily aimed at individuals seeking medical and financial aid, with the fraudulent scheme promoted through hashtags like #help_@naralokesh, #help_@pawankalyan, and #help_@ncbn on X, formerly Twitter.
Rajesh would contact victims via WhatsApp, using disposable numbers, often with US country codes. He deceived them further by sending fake bank credit receipts and impersonating bank managers, convincing the victims to deposit money into his accounts as part of fraudulent “remittance charges.”
The case was registered under the BNS and IT Act at the CID’s cyber crime police station in Mangalagiri. In total, Rajesh defrauded the victims of approximately Rs 2,32,000 in this particular case alone. Over several months, Rajesh defrauded a total of Rs 54.34 lakh across nine cases registered in Andhra Pradesh (7 cases) and Telangana (2 cases) in 2024.
As part of the ongoing efforts to curb cyber frauds, the CID has urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. The authorities have also advised the public to avoid sharing personal or financial details with unverified contacts and be cautious of such fraudulent schemes that exploit the goodwill of public figures.
