Hyderabad, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have arrested two men for their alleged involvement in a digital arrest scam in which a 63-year-old retired employee was cheated of Rs 29.17 lakh by fraudsters impersonating officials of the Delhi Police, CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The accused have been identified as Mohd Ashfaq Hussain and Ahmed Najeeb Uddin, both residents of Hyderabad. A third accused, Sachin, who is reportedly based in Bengaluru, remains absconding, police said on Sunday.
According to Additional Commissioner of Police, Crimes and SIT, Hyderabad City, M. Srinivasulu, the victim received calls from the fraudsters on March 3, 2025. They falsely claimed that he was involved in a money laundering case involving Rs 68 million and threatened him with arrest.
To make the allegations appear credible, the callers allegedly sent forged official documents and claimed that the victim’s Aadhaar details and fingerprints had been misused in the purported crime. They obtained his personal and banking details and persuaded him and his daughter to transfer money for verification, promising that the amount would be refunded.
The fraudsters also threatened them with arrest and instructed them to maintain secrecy, citing national security. The victim and his daughter subsequently transferred Rs 29,17,668. After the money was not returned, the retired employee approached the police.
Investigators said the arrested men allegedly helped route the fraud proceeds through multiple bank accounts to conceal the money trail. Police alleged that Ashfaq obtained bank account details from Najeeb and shared them with Sachin, who transferred the money into the accounts.
The two arrested accused allegedly withdrew the funds through cheques and deposited cash into different accounts using Cash Deposit Machines. Sachin then allegedly used the money to purchase USDT cryptocurrency and sold it online in exchange for Indian rupees. The accused reportedly earned commissions for facilitating the transactions.
A case was registered under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those relating to cheating, impersonation and forgery.
Police said further investigation was underway to trace the absconding accused and establish the wider financial trail.
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