Hyderabad: Cybercrime police bust betting scam, nab four social media influencers

The betting syndicate operating through Telegram influencers and unauthorised betting websites lured victims with ‘exclusive insider tips’ and ‘fixed matches’, say police

Hyderabad: The Cyberabad Police have dismantled a sophisticated online betting syndicate operating through Telegram influencers, unauthorised betting websites and mule accounts, and arrested four social media influencers.

An official said the network tricked young people with fake promises of match-fixing tips. It also used social media advertisements to attract millions to illegal gambling sites. The arrested were identified as Chinnamsetti Naga Rakesh, Pottavathini Deepak, Guguloth Sri Ram Naik and Hemanth Kumar.

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The fraud came to light after a youth from Miyapur lodged a complaint alleging he was defrauded by cyber fraudsters who claimed to give predictions on Telegram channels. The complainant lost Rs 50 lakh, and his friend lost Rs 60 lakh.

According to the police, the fraudsters ran a betting scam and created private Telegram groups to lure victims with ‘exclusive insider tips’ and ‘fixed matches’.

“They used emotional tricks and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to get users to register through side-loaded Android apps (APK files), special URLs, or influencer codes,” said a senior cybercrime official investigating the case.

Once victims were hooked, they deposited money through UPI, IMPS, or NEFT and this money went into mule accounts controlled by the syndicate and were opened with forged Aadhaar and PAN documents to avoid KYC rules.

“The gang laundered money by moving funds through many accounts. They also converted some of it into crypto currency. To keep their credibility, they sometimes paid out small “wins” using new mule accounts but blocked high-value withdrawals,” the official said.

Influencers who promoted the scam made commissions of 1-3 per cent on each bet apart from monthly retainers. Some earned between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 80 lakh.

Investigation revealed that the syndicate operated from 2019 to 2025, primarily targeting Telugu-speaking regions but extending across multiple States. Cyberabad Police requested citizens to call Cybercrime helpline 1930 to report cybercrime incidents.