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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
136 cyber criminals nabbed across Tamil Nadu in operation ‘Thiraineekku-II'
The Cyber Crime Wing of TN Police has arrested 136 cyber criminals across Tamil Nadu after conducting A special operation called Operation 'Thiraineekku- II.' In December last year, the Cyber Crime Wing earlier conducted 'Operation Thiraineekku-I' and arrested 76 cyber criminals across the state. The second phase of the operation officially began on June 2 and concluded in the early hours of June 4. The operation was planned and executed across all districts and cities of Tamil Nadu. This large-scale operation was based on accused profiling by scientific investigation of Cyber Crime Wing teams under close supervision of Superintendent of Police I. Shahnaz. The profiling was done based on complaints registered through National CRP Portal of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and also through bank fund trail linkages established by financial data analysis of cybercriminal networks. Additional Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing Sandeep Mittal said the special teams have arrested 136 cyber criminals across Tamil Nadu. These criminals are linked to 159 cases registered by the Cyber Crime Police Stations in Tamil Nadu. Bank mule agents were identified and six have been secured busting a gang which is behind 30-odd shell companies, with over 100 agents working for it. During the special operation, the Cyber Crime Wing has seized 125 mobile phones, 304 bank accounts, 88 cheque books, 107 ATM debit / credit cards, 35 desktops, etc. 'We are analysing digital evidence and interrogating the arrested individuals to uncover additional layers of the criminal operations throughout India. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend other members of the network, recover defrauded funds, and identify broader links to nationwide cybercrime activities,' said Mr. Mittal.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
Operation Hydra: TN police arrest seven cyber criminals in nationwide hunt
CHENNAI: In a nationwide operation called Operation Hydra, the Cyber Crime Wing of Tamil Nadu Police has arrested seven cyber criminals across multiple states, including Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam and Delhi. The accused were allegedly involved in highly organised cyber fraud networks ranging from matrimonial investment scams to phishing and fake scholarship rackets, police said. M Daoud (21) and M Vaseem (34) from Jaspur, Uttarakhand, were arrested on last Wednesday for their alleged role in matrimonial and investment scams. The accused allegedly lured the victims through fake profiles and coaxed them into transferring large sums of money on the promise of high investment returns. The duo managed mule bank accounts to channel the proceeds of crime, a release said. Three more men were arrested in the weekend in connection with a phishing scam, where a victim was tricked via fake KYC update. The victim allegedly lost Rs 4,05,100 in the transaction. Police arrested Pankaj Kumar (40) from Jharkhand on Friday, Hiteswar Biswas (30) from Hojai, Assam, on Saturday, and Nihar Ranjan Nath (51) from Nagaon, Assam, on Sunday. In an alleged scholarship scam targeting students, police arrested Preeti Nicholas (30) and Meshach (19) from Delhi on Sunday. A total of 35 bank accounts, six mobile numbers, and two phones have been seized. All suspects are in custody and further investigation is under way.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
T.N. cyber crime wing arrests seven persons for matrimonial, phishing and scholarship scams
In a pan-India operation, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police arrested seven persons allegedly involved in organised cyber fraud activities, including matrimonial fraud, phishing scams, and a scholarship scam. Under 'Operation Hydra,' the officers of the wing were deployed across various States, including Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, and Delhi. According to the police, Mohd Daoud, 21, and Mohd Vaseem, 34, both from Jaspur, Uttarakhand, were part of a fake matrimonial profile fraud. The victims were lured through fraudulent profiles and investment schemes promising high returns. Both suspects allegedly played a direct role in facilitating mule bank accounts used to launder the proceeds of the scams. In another case, a fraudster impersonated an ICICI Bank customer care executive, asking the victim to download an APK file via WhatsApp for a supposed KYC update. This gave the scammer access to sensitive data, including PAN and debit card details. The accused then initiated a fraudulent personal loan transaction and siphoned off a total of ₹4,05,100 from the victim's account. A special team arrested Pankaj Kumar, 40, from Jharkhand, Hiteswar Biswas alias Hitu, 30, from Hojai, Assam, and Nihar Ranjan Nath, 51, from Nagaon, Assam in connection with the case. The police said they were part of a wider syndicate involved in fraudulent digital lending transactions and managing mule accounts. In another case, students were targeted with the promise of government financial aid for education. The fraudsters collected personal details and small payments as 'processing fees' before disappearing. This case was registered by the Thanjavur Cyber Crime police station, and the investigation led to the arrest of the main accused, Preeti Nicholas, 30, and Meshach,19), both from Northeast Delhi. The police said nine persons had been arrested from Delhi in the past two months in connection with the scholarship scam. They were found to be involved in collecting student data and creating forged digital documents to support the fraudulent scheme.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Retired man duped of savings in trading scam
A 68-year-old retired man from Secunderabad was duped of ₹61.95 lakh in an online trading scam involving cybercriminals operating under the guise of an international trading platform. The scam began on March 27, when the victim made an initial investment of ₹21,000 after discovering a website operated by a firm identifying itself as Experts Pro Ltd. Shortly after the first investment, a representative of the platform began contacting the victim regularly. Presenting himself as a trading expert, the scamster offered insights on market trends and assured the victim of high returns. Being a novice in stock trading, the victim placed his trust on the scamster and followed his advice closely. The fraudster persistently encouraged the victim to invest more money citing reasons like 'margin levels falling below sustenance'. Despite repeated pleas from the victim, who made it clear that he was not seeking profit but simply wished to exit and retrieve his money, the scammers refused to allow any withdrawals, even when the account appeared to show substantial gains. Over the following weeks, the victim, struggling to arrange funds and under emotional duress, continued to transfer money. By May, he had exhausted all his financial resources. On May 21, while travelling with family, the victim informed the scammer that he would be unavailable for a few days. The scammer assured him that he would manage the account in his absence. However, while returning home, the victim began receiving repeated calls from the same individual. Upon answering, he was told the margin levels had dropped drastically and was pressured to make an urgent payment of ₹10 lakh. When the victim hesitated, another voice, suspected to be another member of the scam operation, took over the call and intensified the pressure. A heated exchange followed, and the victim refused to transfer more money. Although the victim stopped responding to calls after this incident, the scammers were far from done. Days later, another individual contacted him, claiming to be a recovery agent who could help retrieve the lost funds, demanding a fresh investment. Since then, the victim has been receiving multiple harassing calls each day. To date, the trading platform continues to show an account balance of USD 75,000, but all withdrawal attempts have been denied. The scammers insist that additional payments are required to 'unlock' the profits, perpetuating the cycle of fraud. Following a complaint by the victim, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Hyderabad police initiated an investigation.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- The Hindu
Hyderabad bizman duped of ₹2.69 lakh in online scam
A 33-year-old businessman from Hyderabad was duped of ₹2.7 lakh by fraudsters posing as dealers of 'return stocks' or goods which have been returned by customers on leading e-commerce platforms. The scam began on April 9, 2025, when the victim received a call from a Kolkata-based number. According to the Cyber Crime Wing of the Hyderabad police, the caller introduced himself as a seller dealing in 'return stocks' from Flipkart and Amazon, claiming to offer items such as school bags, fans, crockery, and shoes at wholesale rates. Swayed by the seemingly genuine offer, the victim requested product photos and received images of school bags. The fraudster sent copies of his Aadhaar card, Voter ID, and PAN card. Upon online verification, the Aadhaar and Voter ID appeared authentic, further convincing the victim of the deal's legitimacy. He then requested a formal quotation and proceeded to place an order for 750 school bags, 25 mist fans, and 60 normal fans. The fraudster claimed to have dispatched the consignment via a transport company named Maa Vaishno Transport and promised delivery within five days. The victim made an initial payment of ₹18,000, but the delivery was delayed. When he followed up, the fraudster claimed the consignment was stuck in Warangal. When the victim asked for a refund, the fraudster promised delivery by April 28. However, the victim grew suspicious and attempted to verify the transport company. He discovered that the contact number provided was fake, and subsequent enquiries revealed that no such logistics firm existed in Bardhaman, West Bengal. Meanwhile, 25 days later, the fraudster sent a train ticket, claiming he was travelling to Hyderabad to deliver the goods personally. Despite the assurance, he later switched off his phone, though he remained active on WhatsApp. By the end of the ordeal, the victim had transferred a total of ₹2,69,530. Citizens are advised to verify business credentials such as GSTIN, trade licences, and company registration before entering any transaction. All suspicious activities or fraudulent calls should be reported immediately via the cyber crime helpline 1930 or online at
