Hyderabad cyber crime police arrest 3 in ₹1.9 lakh PhonePe fraud
HYDERABAD: Hyderabad cyber crime police have arrested three men for allegedly carrying out unauthorised transactions of ₹1.95 lakh from the bank account of a 68-year-old man after stealing his mobile phone.
Police identified the accused as Mohammed Moin Udddin, 31, an auto driver from Nehru Nagar, Balanagar; Mohammed Syed Salman alias Sultan, 21, a car driver from Panchasheela Colony, Medchal-Malkajgiri; and Mohammed Hussain, 32, a vegetable vendor from Rajendranagar, Ranga Reddy.
Modus operandi
According to police, the victim lost his phone on September 17, 2025, while travelling in a shared auto from Uppal to Tarnaka. He blocked his SIM the next day and obtained a new one. On September 20, he noticed a debit of ₹5,000 and later discovered that ₹1,95,001 had been withdrawn from his Union Bank of India account.
Investigations revealed that A1 Moin Udddin and A2 Salman first lured the victim into unlocking his phone and transferring money through PhonePe by scanning a QR code. They later stole his mobile phone and used it to make payments at petrol pumps and shops, collecting cash in return.
On September 20, the duo roped in A3 Hussain, who transferred ₹90,000 in multiple transactions to gaming platform accounts and withdrew the amount through his Federal Bank account. The trio then shared the fraudulent proceeds.
The case was registered under Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police seized three mobile phones from the accused.
Advisory to public
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) urged citizens to be cautious while travelling and using digital payment platforms. The advisory included:
Verify vehicle details and occupants before boarding shared autos.
Avoid sharing UPI PINs, OTPs or passwords.
Confirm identity before making digital transactions.
Enable SIM locks, app locks and transaction limits on payment apps.
Call helpline 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in to report fraud.
A team led by Inspector P Pramod Kumar, along with SI Shaik Azeez and constables Prabhu, Vijay, Ramanjaneya Prasad, Venu and Srinivas Ashwin, investigated the case.
