Two arrested for cyberfraud

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested two individuals for allegedly utilizing the {photograph} of Human Resources Department Minister Nara Lokesh and committing cyberfraud. The accused used Mr. Lokesh’s {photograph} as their WhatsApp show image and posed as Surendra, TDP NRI Convenor, to cheat the general public below the guise of offering medical help.

The principal accused, Konduri Rajesh of Vijayawada, was arrested in January this 12 months close to the India-Nepal Border in West Bengal and subsequently, the opposite two accused had been arrested on Wednesday.

The CID arrested Guttikonda Sai Srinath of Hyderabad and Chithhadi Thala Sumanth of Patancheruvu in Telangana.

According to the CID, the three accused collected info from people searching for medical or monetary assist by looking hashtags like #help_@naralokesh, #help_@pawankalyan, and #help_@ncbn on X. Using U.S. primarily based telephone numbers, they contacted victims by way of WhatsApp, posing as Surendra, TDP NRI Convener, and obtained checking account and medical invoice particulars from victims below the pretext of providing monetary assist.

“The accused despatched pretend U.S. financial institution switch receipts exhibiting credit score of ₹10 lakh to victims’ accounts. Later, they impersonated financial institution officers from Indian numbers, claiming that funds had been held up and demanding 4 % remittance expenses to launch the quantity,” the CID mentioned.

After gathering cash, they issued further pretend receipts citing “earnings tax clearance points” and ultimately stopped all communication. They supplied financial institution accounts to Rajesh for receiving and transferring illegally obtained funds, the CID mentioned.

Sai Srinath and Sumanth are ordinary offenders concerned in 9 cyberfraud instances in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.