The Cyber Crime Police Station, Hyderabad City, registered 117 FIRs in January 2026 as part of intensified action against online fraud and digital offences. During special operations, police arrested 37 accused from seven different states in connection with 26 cases, leading to the recovery and refund of ₹71.91 lakh to victims.
Police said investment fraud emerged as the most common offence, with 15 cases reported during the month. Other crimes included digital arrest scams (2 cases), social media related CSAM-POCSO offences (4 cases), job fraud (3 cases), business fraud (1 case), and gaming fraud (1 case).
Investigations revealed that the arrested accused were involved in 86 cybercrime cases across India, with suspicious bank transactions amounting to nearly ₹65 crore. State wise involvement included nine cases from Telangana and six from Andhra Pradesh, while one case each was traced to Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar and Delhi.
Police seized several items during the operations, including 26 mobile phones, one laptop, 57 cheque books, 79 SIM cards, 62 debit cards, 15 shell company stamps, and eight QR code scanners.
In addition, Zonal Cyber Cells received 1,706 petitions through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and registered 315 FIRs during the same period. Officials said the increase in reporting was largely due to the C-MITRA awareness initiative. In these cases, 13 accused were arrested across different states, and ₹10.65 lakh was refunded to victims.
One major case involved an investment fraud operated through a matrimonial website. A Hyderabad resident was cheated of ₹11.17 lakh after being lured into a fake cryptocurrency trading scheme. Police arrested two accused from Gajuwaka in Andhra Pradesh in connection with the case and seized five mobile phones and 10 SIM cards.
Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have advised the public to remain alert against fake government profiles, fraudulent investment groups, malicious links and APK files, and so called “Digital Arrest” scams. Citizens who fall victim to cyber fraud have been urged to report incidents immediately by calling the national helpline number 1930 or by logging a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in to improve the chances of fund recovery.
