Fraudster who scammed people at ATMs nabbed by Cyberabad police

Hyderabad: A man accused of cheating people by diverting attention from ATMs was arrested on Monday by the Cyberabad police. The accused was also found to have been involved in six similar cases registered in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as he had cheated others and accumulated a total of Rs 12.09 lakh by scamming people.

‘Diverting attention’ in police lingo means that the accused approached his victims who were going to the ATMs to deposit money, and would tell them that he needs cash. Intipalli Rama Rao, who was arrested, would tell gullible people at ATMs that he would transfer the cash in their hands to their accounts via online modes immediately. The accused would convince them by sending a fake message that the amount has been transferred, and would then vanish with the cash.

The 27-year-old accused Rama Rao is a “habitual offender” and cheated many people, said the Cyberabad police in a press note. He was finally arrested after a victim whom he stole Rs one lakh from at an ATM in SR Nagar filed a complaint about him on October 12.

The police reportedly seized Rs 95,000 and a Redmi 9 Pro from the accused after his arrest. Previously, the accused had reportedly committed 27 offences and had gone to jail in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2018 and 2019. The police stated that on interrogation, he confessed to accumulating Rs 12,09,000 from his victims.