Cyber frauds rise in Hyderabad after online lure
HYDERABAD: Cybercrime cases in the city continue to rise as scammers use social media advertisements to cheat residents of large sums, police said. Complaints filed at the cyber crime police station show victims falling for unusually low-priced offers and fabricated emergencies.
A student from the city saw an online advertisement offering an iPhone for ₹2,000. Believing it to be genuine, he transferred ₹2,000 from his bank account. The fraudster then cited multiple reasons and siphoned off ₹2.50 lakh from the student’s account. The student told police that the money was meant for his college fee, which his father had recently sent.
Fake poultry sales
In another case, a resident contacted a number listed in a social media advertisement for Sankranti gamecocks. The seller quoted ₹12,000 per bird but agreed to ₹6,000 after bargaining. Claiming that the bird had been raised on dry fruits, the fraudster asked for additional money for transport. Using the same pretext repeatedly, he extracted ₹1.54 lakh from the buyer.
Avocado scam uses ‘accident’ ruse
A third victim searched online for avocado fruit and reached a seller through a phone number. He booked the order for ₹500, after which the scammer promised delivery within 24 hours. He later called the victim, claiming that the delivery vehicle had met with an accident and the driver had suffered serious injuries. He asked the victim to pay some money immediately, saying the fruit would be delivered later and the full amount collected then. The victim transferred ₹2 lakh before realising he had been cheated.
Phone hacked in vehicle sale fraud
In another complaint, a city resident called a number listed in an online advertisement for a vehicle on sale. After he spoke to the owner, another person contacted him and asked him to transfer money. The victim complied. When the vehicle did not arrive, he called the owner, who asked how a vehicle could be handed over without receiving payment. The victim then realised his phone had been hacked and about ₹1.50 lakh had been withdrawn.
Police urged the public to avoid transferring money to unknown sellers and to verify advertisements before making payments.
