ATM fraud accused held in Sultan Bazar
HYDERABAD: Sultan Bazar police arrested a man for cheating people at ATM centres by promising instant NEFT transfers in exchange for cash. Police said the accused showed fake transaction messages after taking money and fled.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Khairatabad Deputy Commissioner of Police K Shilpavalli said eight fresh cases were registered, taking the total against the accused to 81. Assistant Commissioner of Police Mattaiah and Inspector G Naresh were present.
Debt and betting push accused into repeated offences
The accused, Intipalli Rama Rao, a BTech graduate from Rudravari Meraka in Ambedkar Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, had moved to the city for a job at a multinational company. He allegedly misused credit cards, fell into debt, and later turned to fraud.
Earlier, he was booked for cheating 35 people on the pretext of arranging jobs and lost his employment. He later worked as a graphic designer and developed habits of cricket and online betting, which worsened his financial situation.
Targets cash depositors at ATMs across cities
Police said Rama Rao began targeting people depositing cash at ATM cash deposit machines. He convinced them to hand over money, claiming he would transfer it online through NEFT. After receiving cash, he generated fake SMS messages using the last four digits of the victim’s bank account and showed them as proof of transfer.
He had earlier been arrested in Kukatpally in 2019, Sultan Bazar in 2022, and by Task Force and police in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam in 2024.
Rama Rao currently stays at a dormitory at Jubilee Bus Station (JBS). On April 22, he allegedly cheated A Sunitha of ₹1 lakh at an ATM in Sultan Bazar. When she suspected fraud after not receiving a bank message, she took him to her shop. He later escaped after leaving his identity cards, citing urgent work.
Following her complaint, police formed a special team and arrested him at another ATM centre in Narayanaguda on Wednesday. Two mobile phones were seized, and ₹2.4 lakh in his account was frozen. Police said they will invoke the Preventive Detention Act against him.
