Fake cybercrime officer ran extortion scam, arrested

The SR Nagar police arrested a habitual cybercrime offender who posed as a cybercrime officer to extort money from victims. The accused is linked to 44 fraud cases across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad: The SR Nagar police on Wednesday arrested a habitual cybercrime offender who allegedly cheated several people by posing as a cybercrime police officer and extorted money through fear and intimidation.

The suspect, J Sai Ram Reddy (27), a bike-taxi rider from Karimnagar, was involved in at least 44 cyber fraud cases across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

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According to the police, Sai Ram created fake female profiles on social media platforms to befriend victims, mostly men. After gaining their trust, he allegedly called them posing as a cybercrime official, threatened them with false cases related to obscene online activity and extorted money as fine through digital payment modes. Victims were also asked to reset their mobile phones to erase evidence.

In the latest case, a student was cheated of nearly Rs 97,000 through multiple digital transactions. Based on a complaint lodged via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, he was traced and nabbed.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to committing similar offences using multiple SIM cards, mobile phones and bank accounts, including accounts of unsuspecting shopkeepers.