Hyderabad police refunds Rs. 3.6 lakhs to cybercrime victims in multiple cases

Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Unit of Hyderabad City has successfully refunded Rs. 3,59,998 (Rupees three lakh fifty-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-eight) to three victims who were defrauded in separate cybercrime incidents. The refunds were issued directly to the victims’ bank accounts without the need for a court order.
Incident 1: Fraudulent Credit Card Transaction
The first victim, a businessman from Hyderabad, received a call from a number (9711631236) claiming to be from SBI Credit Card Services. The caller informed the victim that a new card had been issued in his name and requested his credit card details for confirmation. Trusting the call, the victim shared the details, which led to a fraudulent transaction and the loss of funds from his SBI credit card.
Immediately upon realising the fraud, a notice was sent to the payment gateway, requesting the stoppage of the transaction. Following up on this, the gateway refunded Rs. 1,71,800 (Rupees one lakh seventy-one thousand eight hundred) to the victim’s credit card.
Incident 2: Malware Attack via WhatsApp Link
In the second case, a male private employee from Hyderabad received a suspicious link via WhatsApp, claiming to be an APK file for the PM Kisan app. After clicking on the link and installing the file, the victim’s phone was compromised, and fraudsters gained access to his SMS messages. As a result, unauthorised transactions were made, including a debit from his ICICI credit card.
The victim immediately reported the incident, and a notice was sent to Amazon, the merchant involved, requesting the stoppage of the fraudulent transaction. The merchant responded by refunding Rs. 97,998 (Rupees ninety-seven thousand nine hundred ninety-eight) to the victim’s credit card.
Incident 3: Fraudulent Credit Card Limit Increase
The third victim, a self-employed individual from Hyderabad, received a WhatsApp call from someone impersonating an HDFC Bank employee. The scammer claimed to be offering a credit card limit increase and sent a link titled “HDFC Card Limit Increase” for the victim to fill out. After clicking on the link and installing the APK file, the victim’s phone was compromised. Within an hour, an amount of Rs. 90,200 (Rupees ninety thousand two hundred) was fraudulently debited from his credit card.
However, the malware was detected and removed from the victim’s device, and the amount was refunded via PhonePe before the transaction could be completed.
The Cyber Crime Unit’s Prompt Response
The swift actions of the NCRP (National Cyber Response Portal) Team from the Cyber Crime Unit of Hyderabad City, led by ARPC Srikanth Naik, ARPC Jawed, PC Kranthi Kumar Reddy, and WPC Bharghavi, the victims were able to recover the total amount of Rs. 3,59,998. The refunds were processed directly to the victims’ Axis Bank credit cards without the need for a court order.
The commendable efforts of the Cyber Crime Unit were recognized by the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City.
Public Advisory
The Cyber Crime Unit has issued the following public advisory:
• Do not install APK files forwarded via WhatsApp, as fraudsters use these files to steal data by compromising devices.
• Avoid responding to emails or embedded APK links asking you to update or verify KYC documents.
• Never share sensitive information such as User ID, Password, Debit Card Number, PIN, CVV, OTP, etc.
• Bank officials, financial institutions, and the RBI will never ask customers to share confidential information over the phone or email.
• If you suspect any fraudulent activity, immediately change your credentials and report the issue to the concerned authorities.
• For further safety concerns, it is advisable to visit your bank or financial institution physically.
Victims of cyber frauds are encouraged to report incidents immediately to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling 1930. Reporting fraud cases promptly increases the chances of recovering lost funds.