Senior Citizens Lose Rs 102-Cr to Cyber Frauds in Hyderabad in 19 Months

Hyderabad, Aug 9 (TNT): Senior citizens lost Rs 102.02 crore in 403 cybercrime cases registered in Hyderabad during the 19-month period from January 2025 to July 31, 2026, with trading frauds and digital arrest scams accounting for the major share of the losses, police said on Sunday.

According to Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police, 113 trading fraud cases involving senior citizens resulted in losses of more than Rs 55.88 crore during the period.

Fraudsters allegedly used WhatsApp, Telegram and fake trading applications to lure victims with promises of high returns through foreign exchange and share-market investments.

Digital arrest scams accounted for another 69 cases, in which senior citizens lost more than Rs 31.93 crore. Fraudsters allegedly impersonated officials of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, police, narcotics and customs departments and intimidated victims through video calls before demanding money.

OTP frauds recorded the highest number of cases, with 115 incidents causing losses of Rs 4.94 crore, while 22 investment fraud cases resulted in losses of Rs 2.79 crore, police said.

Police also registered seven cases involving dating frauds and honey traps, with senior citizens losing more than Rs 70.11 lakh.

Fraudsters allegedly established relationships with victims through fake social media profiles and dating applications before demanding money on various pretexts.

In one case, a 75-year-old retired government employee from Jubilee Hills was allegedly cheated of Rs 96 lakh after being offered a part-time job through WhatsApp.

The fraudsters initially gained his confidence by paying small amounts for completing tasks and later lured him into a fake foreign exchange trading platform through a Telegram group.

In another case, a 70-year-old retired gazetted officer was allegedly duped of Rs 85 lakh by a fraudster posing as a Mumbai police officer.

The accused allegedly threatened the victim with arrest in a fabricated money-laundering case and obtained the money through an RTGS transaction on the pretext of verifying his bank accounts.

Cases, losses decline in 2026

Police said cybercrime awareness campaigns and public outreach programmes had contributed to a decline in cases and financial losses involving senior citizens.

In 2025, 285 cases involving elderly victims were registered, with losses of Rs 71.81 crore. During the first seven months of 2026, up to July 31, the number of cases declined to 118 and losses fell to Rs 30.20 crore.

The average number of cases declined from around 24 per month in 2025 to 17 per month in 2026, police said.

Cybercrime officials said prompt reporting of fraud enables them to approach banks, freeze suspicious accounts and initiate measures to recover the stolen funds.

No provision for digital arrest

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, IPS, urged senior citizens to remain vigilant and said there was ” no provision for “digital arrest” under Indian law.

He cautioned people against unsolicited part-time job offers received through WhatsApp or Telegram and investment schemes promising unusually high returns.

Sajjanar advised people to verify whether investment entities were registered with SEBI before investing and warned them against paying additional amounts as taxes or processing charges to withdraw alleged profits.

He also urged people not to share banking details, OTPs, Aadhaar or PAN details with anyone.

Police said family members should also maintain regular communication with elderly relatives regarding their online activities and financial transactions, as victims often approach the police only after losing substantial amounts.

Banks urged to monitor suspicious transactions

Police said bank employees could help prevent cyber fraud by identifying unusual financial transactions involving senior citizens.

In several cases, bank staff reportedly noticed elderly customers attempting to close fixed deposits or transfer large sums through RTGS or NEFT to unfamiliar accounts.

Intervention by bank employees helped prevent some transactions and alert family members or police.

Sajjanar also urged senior citizens to consider placing transaction limits on their bank accounts as a precautionary measure.

He cited the example of a retired State DGP who had asked his bank to restrict cash withdrawals against cheques to Rs 5,000, describing the measure as a commendable precaution.

The Commissioner urged banks to question unusually large transactions involving elderly customers and alert family members or police if there were indications of cyber intimidation.

Police advised victims of cyber fraud to immediately call the 1930 cybercrime helpline or file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Prompt reporting, particularly during the initial “golden hour”, can improve the chances of freezing the transferred funds and recovering the money, police added.

TNT TS