Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad City arrested five key members of a fake loan racket that defrauded citizens through bogus websites and social media ads impersonating official loan agencies. The arrested accused, all from Warangal, extorted ₹1.08 lakh from a Hyderabad woman by falsely promising a sanctioned Mudra loan.
The accused were identified as Bochu Arun, Gadam Bharath, Samarlla Thirupathi, Velpugonda Tharun, and Chukka Shyam. They posed as loan officers and targeted victims through fake online advertisements and fraudulent calls.
Online loan fraud Hyderabad: Victim paid ₹1.08 lakh after seeing Instagram ad
According to police, the 36-year-old complainant came across a loan ad on Instagram on November 6, 2025. The next day, she received a call from an alleged “Kila Pavan Kumar” claiming a ₹3 lakh loan had been pre-approved in her name. He requested Aadhaar and PAN details to confirm eligibility and then began demanding payments under various pretexts, including ₹7,200 for insurance and ₹15,000 for TDS. She ultimately paid ₹1,08,274 before realizing she had been scammed.
Gang operated from Kolkata and Delhi, targeted Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Police revealed that the gang had previously travelled to Kolkata and Delhi, where they were trained in fraudulent tactics by handlers from West Bengal and Delhi. They worked in flats functioning as fake call centres, using preloaded customer data from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Each member made up to 200 calls using provided SIMs, bank accounts, and UPI IDs. Victims were convinced to transfer funds as “processing charges,” “income tax,” and “cancellation fees.”
After the operation, handlers confiscated all devices and paid the accused a 30% commission before they returned to Hyderabad. The gang later resumed similar activities with other accomplices based in Delhi.
Cybercrime police seized 8 mobile phones and 10 SIM cards from the accused. Investigators are working to trace additional bank accounts and arrest the remaining absconding suspects.
Public advisory issued amid rising digital loan scams
The police urged citizens to remain cautious of unsolicited online loan offers, especially those circulated through social media or messaging apps. The RBI has repeatedly warned the public to use only registered banks and NBFCs for credit services. Victims are advised not to click suspicious links or transfer money to unknown parties.
For immediate assistance in cyber fraud cases, victims can dial 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in.