HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar on Wednesday issued an advisory cautioning the public against an emerging modus operandi termed “hybrid cyber fraud”, which combines physical pickpocketing with digital financial crimes to siphon money from victims’ bank accounts.
In a crackdown on the organised racket, Hyderabad Cyber Crime police arrested three key members of an interstate syndicate and seized five mobile phones allegedly used in the offences. The gang allegedly cheated victims of over Rs 20 lakh.
According to Sajjanar, preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate systematically targeted senior citizens, daily commuters and technologically vulnerable individuals in crowded public transit areas.
The accused allegedly identified people carrying smartphones in RTC buses, bus stations, railway platforms and crowded junctions and discreetly observed their screen-lock PINs, patterns or passwords through shoulder surfing. They then created distractions and allegedly stole the devices from victims’ pockets or bags.
If they were unable to unlock a phone, the accused allegedly answered calls made by victims and posed as RTC conductors or drivers, claiming the phone had been found on a bus. Under the guise of verifying ownership, they allegedly induced victims to disclose their screen-lock credentials.
Once they gained access to the devices, the gang allegedly searched galleries, WhatsApp media and other applications for photographs of debit or credit cards, bank passbooks and recorded PINs. With the SIM card active, they allegedly accessed UPI and mobile banking applications, intercepted OTPs and reset credentials before transferring money.
The commissioner said the gang functioned as a structured syndicate, with separate members handling target scouting, theft, social engineering, technical exploitation and money laundering.