Hyderabad, Aug 16 (Maxim News): A 75-year-old retired government employee from Jubilee Hills allegedly lost ₹96 lakh after cybercriminals trapped him in a fake part-time job and foreign exchange trading scam.
According to the information available, the scammers initially contacted the retired officer through WhatsApp, offering him a part-time job. They assigned small tasks and made initial payments to gain his confidence.
The fraudsters later moved the victim to Telegram and introduced him to a fake foreign exchange trading platform. They displayed fabricated profits on the screen and convinced him to invest more money.
Cybercriminals Use Fake Police Case to Extort ₹85 Lakh
The scammers subsequently demanded money in the name of withdrawal and processing charges. Believing the fake investment platform, the victim allegedly transferred around ₹96 lakh in multiple instalments.
In a separate stage of the fraud, one of the accused allegedly identified himself as Mumbai Police officer Anup Sharma during a WhatsApp video call.
The fraudster reportedly threatened the 75-year-old with arrest, claiming that a money laundering case had been registered against him. He allegedly showed fake documents to make the threat appear genuine.
The scammer then demanded ₹85 lakh, claiming the money was required for checking the victim’s bank accounts. The victim allegedly transferred the amount through a single RTGS transaction.
The incident highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud targeting senior citizens in Hyderabad. Criminals are increasingly using fake investment platforms, trading schemes, impersonation of police officials and other deceptive methods to gain victims’ trust.
Cybercriminals also use threats of arrest and fabricated legal cases to pressure victims into transferring large sums of money.
Police have repeatedly advised citizens not to transfer money based on unsolicited investment offers, job messages or calls from people claiming to be police or government officials.
Senior citizens, in particular, have been urged to verify such claims independently and immediately report suspicious financial transactions to the authorities.
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