8 cybercriminals held for ‘digital arrest’
SP L Subbarayudu speaking to the media in Tirupati on Wednesday
Tirupati: The Tirupati district police on Wednesday arrested eight members of an inter-state cybercrime gang that duped unsuspecting victims by threatening them with “digital arrests.” The police seized eight mobile phones and identified cash held in joint bank accounts linked to theaccused.
District SP L Subbarayudu said the gang primarily targeted senior citizens, impersonating government officials during WhatsApp video calls. They intimidated victims with fabricated cases and coerced them into transferring money to various bank accounts.
A 65-year-old person from Tirupati lost Rs 80 lakh after being deceived through multiple transactions routed across different states, the SP said.
Investigations revealed that the key accused had international cyber links and operated through fake documents and joint accounts to funnel large sums to overseas networks. The gang offered commissions to individuals who provided their bank accounts for these transactions.
Urging people to remain vigilant, the SP warned that no government department arrests individuals through video calls. He appealed to the public to report suspicious calls or messages immediately through the cybercrime helpline 1930, emergency number 112, or the Tirupati police WhatsApp number 80999 99977.