Nine arrested for operating mule accounts of victims lodged in Gachibowli hotels
Of the nine accused, Sumit Rathore and Manvendra Singh Rathore were residents of Rajasthan while Mohammed Nadeem Ur Rehman, MD. Nayeem Ur Rahaman, Md. Shaffi, S. Bharath, Telugu Mahesh, Abdul Khaled, and Jelpti Mahesh, were residents of Hyderabad.
Investigations revealed that the gang was acting under the directions of an international cyber handler using the Telegram alias '@Jack.' They lodged victims in hotels near DLF in Gachibowli and collected their bank documents. A malicious APK file, functioning only on Samsung mobile phones, was installed to remotely access and control the accounts.
To avoid detection, the accused would frequently shift hotel locations. Hotels were booked for a week at a time, and the agents orchestrating the fraud would travel from Rajasthan to Hyderabad to execute their plans.
The police seized 16 mobile phones, one laptop, two cars, and ₹82,500 in cash.
All accused have been remanded to custody, and further investigation is underway to trace other beneficiaries, digital infrastructure, and the identity of the handler '@Jack.'
Police have urged the public to remain vigilant against suspicious emails, calls from purported bank or e-commerce representatives, and to report any unusual activity resembling a call centre in their locality. Residents are encouraged to contact their nearest cybercrime police station or dial 1930 for assistance.
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