Cybercrime police bust Rs 26-crore online gaming, betting fraud in Hyderabad

Hyderabad Cybercrime police arrested four suspects in a Rs 26-crore online gaming and betting scam. Victims were lured through fake Instagram ads and WhatsApp links, with investigations revealing a network using mule accounts, layered transfers, and fraudulent KYC documents.

Hyderabad: The City Cybercrime police have busted a major financial network linked to online gaming and betting fraud and arrested four key suspects for their alleged involvement in fraudulent transactions to the tune of Rs 26 crore, police said on Thursday.

The arrested suspects are Rajesh Venkata Raman, a businessman from Tellapur, B Abhishek, an operations manager from Nallagandla, Augustene Williams, a supporting staff member originally from Kerala and Manmeet Sharma alias Sonya, a web designer and digital marketer based in Goa.

---

According to police, the case came to light after a 24-year-old woman from the city had lost nearly Rs 30 lakh in an online scam. She was allegedly lured through a fake Instagram advertisement and directed to a gaming platform via WhatsApp.

Initially allowed small withdrawals to gain trust, she later deposited large sums through multiple UPI transactions from her bank accounts, only to face heavy losses. “Her accounts were subsequently frozen due to suspicious activity, leaving her financially stranded,” Cybercrime officials said.

Police said investigation revealed that Rajesh Venkata Raman, along with an associate based in Gujarat, operated a company that created and managed payments. These platforms facilitated transactions through UPI, IMPS, and cards, charging commissions on each transaction.

Police said Abhishek and Augustene Williams handled gateway operations and Manmeet Sharma coordinated the flow of KYC documents linked to mule bank accounts created using fake company identities. “These accounts were allegedly used to route betting. The network reportedly retained commissions before transferring the remaining funds through layered accounts,” officials said.

Cybercrime authorities suspect that the group had processed over Rs 26.07 crore through various betting platforms and efforts are on to track the money trail and nab the absconding suspects, including Andy alias Shaheer from Delhi and Rushabh Jasvantrai Gandhi from Gujarat.

During the operation, police seized four laptops, six mobile phones, nine cheque books, two shell company stamps and Rs 6.5 lakh in cash.