Hyderabad police warn against hybrid cyber fraud targeting senior citizens; 3 suspects held
Hyderabad, Aug 26 (TNT): Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Wednesday warned citizens about a new form of hybrid cyber fraud involving mobile phone theft and subsequent theft of money from victims’ bank accounts.
Cybercrime investigations revealed that organised gangs were mainly targeting senior citizens and people with limited knowledge of technology. Three suspects have been arrested and five mobile phones recovered, the Commissioner said.
The gangs reportedly identify victims at bus stations, railway stations, crowded RTC buses and other public places and observe their screen lock patterns, PINs or passwords before stealing their phones.
Police said the accused later pose as bus conductors, drivers or good Samaritans when victims call the stolen phones and trick them into revealing screen lock passwords.
After unlocking the devices, the criminals search messages, WhatsApp chats, galleries and notes for banking and identity details. Using stolen SIM cards and OTPs, they reset banking passwords and UPI PINs and transfer funds from victims’ accounts.
The stolen money is allegedly routed through digital wallets, online gaming platforms and mule accounts before being withdrawn, police said.
Sajjanar urged citizens not to share screen lock passwords, OTPs or UPI PINs and advised them against storing photographs of bank cards, Aadhaar, PAN cards and other sensitive documents on their phones.
Victims of phone theft should immediately block the SIM card, contact their banks to freeze digital banking services and block the handset through the CEIR portal, he added.
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