Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jun 26: The Cyber Crime Unit of the Hyderabad City Police has uncovered a Rs 1.46 crore matrimony-cum-investment fraud and arrested four individuals accused of facilitating the movement of defrauded money through mule bank accounts and Hawala channels.
According to the police, the accused allegedly helped cyber fraudsters based in Singapore by arranging multiple bank accounts to receive the cheated funds, withdrawing the money and routing it through illegal Hawala networks.
The arrested persons have been identified as Chokkala Sampath of Siddipet and Hechu Naresh, Endla Suresh, and Vadkala Mahesh, all residents of Secunderabad.
The case came to light after a victim approached the Cyber Crime Police on February 13, 2026, alleging that he had been duped through a fake matrimony profile. Investigators found that the fraudsters posed as a woman on the Sangam Matrimony platform, gradually gained the complainant's trust by promising marriage, and later persuaded him to invest in a bogus online trading platform with assurances of substantial returns.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes) V. Arvind Babu said the victim was initially shown fabricated profits, which convinced him to transfer Rs 46.65 lakh into multiple bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters. When he attempted to withdraw his earnings, he was asked to pay additional charges, and his withdrawal requests were ultimately blocked, leading him to realise he had been cheated.
During the investigation, police traced the money trail to several beneficiary mule accounts spread across Telangana and Maharashtra. Authorities found that nearly Rs 35 lakh of the cheated amount had passed through accounts maintained with Indian Overseas Bank before being diverted further.
Police said Sampath operated as a coordinator for the racket under the directions of an absconding handler linked to higher-level cyber criminals. His role involved managing mule accounts and ensuring seamless fund transfers, for which he allegedly received a 30 per cent commission.
Naresh, an account holder, allegedly helped open and operate mule accounts used to receive fraudulent funds. He also facilitated withdrawals while avoiding regulatory scrutiny and reportedly earned a 15 per cent commission on deposits routed through the accounts he managed.
The remaining two accused, Suresh and Mahesh, are alleged to have assisted in opening mule accounts and received commissions of 10 per cent each for their role in the operation.
Issuing a public advisory, Hyderabad Police urged citizens to remain cautious while interacting with unknown individuals on matrimonial and social media platforms such as Sangam Matrimony, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Police warned people against falling for online investment schemes, stock market trading offers, or task-based earning opportunities that promise unusually high returns, as these are increasingly being used by cyber criminals to target unsuspecting victims.