Hyderabad police have issued a warning over a sophisticated hybrid cyber scam where thieves steal mobile devices and manipulate their contents to drain bank accounts, especially targeting senior citizens and less tech-savvy individuals.
Hyderabad police have warned residents about a new hybrid cyber fraud in which thieves first steal mobile phones and then use the devices to drain bank accounts. According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, the scheme is aimed particularly at senior citizens and people with limited familiarity with digital tools.
The police said the operation begins in busy places such as bus stands, railway stations and crowded RTC buses, where suspects watch people enter screen locks, PINs or passwords before taking the phone from a pocket or bag. If the device is locked, the gang allegedly turns to social engineering, answering calls from the victim while pretending to be a conductor or driver and offering to return the handset, then pressing the owner to reveal the password.
Once inside the phone, the suspects search galleries, notes, messages and WhatsApp for photographs of debit and credit cards, Aadhaar and PAN cards, passbook details and saved PINs. With the SIM still active, they can use OTPs to reset banking and UPI credentials and move money out through apps such as PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm. Police said the proceeds are then layered through gaming platforms, digital wallets and mule accounts before being withdrawn.
Hyderabad Cybercrime Wing has arrested three people in connection with the offences and seized five mobile phones. Sajjanar said the case shows a structured criminal network with separate roles for surveillance, theft, technical access and laundering. He urged people not to share screen-lock codes, banking passwords or OTPs, and to avoid storing sensitive financial or identity documents in phone galleries or notes. If a phone is lost, police advise immediate SIM blocking, a temporary freeze on digital banking, IMEI blocking through the government’s CEIR portal and a report to the cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
