Hyderabad: Cyber Crime Police dismantled a major online betting fraud network in Hyderabad involving transactions exceeding ₹26 crore. The online betting fraud surfaced after a woman lost ₹30 lakh through a fake gaming platform.
Police said a 24-year-old woman fell victim after clicking a fraudulent Instagram advertisement. Initially, the platform allowed small withdrawals to gain her trust. However, operators later pushed her to make large UPI deposits, leading to heavy losses and frozen accounts.
Online betting fraud used fake payment gateways
Investigators identified Rajesh Venkata Raman as the main accused who managed payment gateways. Moreover, Bhamidipati Abhishek and Augustene Williams handled operations within the network.
Police said Manmeet Sharma, also known as Sonya, arranged fake KYC documents to open mule accounts. Consequently, the accused routed money through multiple accounts using forged identities and shell companies.
The network operated fake gateways such as CloseX Pay, Trustly Pay, and Accult Pay. As a result, the accused earned commissions at each stage of the transactions.
Police said two accused, Andy alias Shaheer and Rushabh Jasvantrai Gandhi, remain absconding. Meanwhile, teams intensified efforts to trace and arrest them.
During the operation, police seized electronic devices, cheque books, fake stamps, and cash. In addition, officials gathered key evidence to strengthen the case.
Authorities warned the public to avoid illegal betting platforms. Therefore, they urged users to stay cautious as such schemes aim to cause financial losses.
𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 ₹𝟮𝟲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱
Cyber Crime Police, Hyderabad dismantled a major online betting fraud network involving… pic.twitter.com/VZbmsa9pZD
— Hyderabad City Police (@hydcitypolice) March 26, 2026