Hyderabad police chief V.C. Sajjanar highlights the surge in online scams exploiting senior citizens, urging families to monitor digital activity and warning against common fraud schemes.
Hyderabad police chief V.C. Sajjanar has warned that neglect of elderly parents is leaving many senior citizens exposed to cybercrime, as fraudsters increasingly target their loneliness, trust and lack of digital supervision. In a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, Sajjanar said police had registered 403 cases in the past 19 months in which older victims lost Rs 102.02 crore to online scams. He said trading fraud accounted for Rs 55.88 crore, digital arrest scams for Rs 31.93 crore, OTP fraud for Rs 4.94 crore and investment fraud for Rs 2.79 crore.
Sajjanar said fraudsters were also using so-called dating scams to exploit isolated elderly people, with senior citizens losing Rs 70.11 lakh to such schemes since January last year. He said sustained awareness drives had helped reduce the average number of cases from 24 a month in 2025 to 17 a month in 2026, but added that investigators were still finding a pattern of adult children failing to monitor their parents’ phone use, banking activity and online behaviour, then turning to police only after money had already been lost.
According to the commissioner, bank staff have also played a key role in stopping some attempts, particularly when older customers suddenly try to close fixed deposits or transfer large sums through RTGS or NEFT to unfamiliar accounts. He reiterated that there is no such thing as a “digital arrest” and said no government agency will call by phone or video and demand payment. He also warned against tempting part-time job offers and high-return trading tips sent through WhatsApp and Telegram, and urged people to verify any investment platform with the Securities and Exchange Board of India before sending money or paying so-called release fees. He advised the public not to share bank details, OTPs, Aadhaar numbers or PAN numbers with strangers and said anyone affected should call 1930 or file a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal immediately.
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