Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have busted a sophisticated matrimony-cum-investment fraud worth Rs 1.46 crore and arrested four persons from Telangana for allegedly operating a network of mule bank accounts used to launder money siphoned off from unsuspecting victims.
The arrested accused have been identified as Chokkala Sampath (29) of Siddipet, Hechu Naresh (37), Endla Suresh (43), and Vadkala Mahesh (33), all residents of Secunderabad.
Police said the accused facilitated the withdrawal and transfer of cheated money through multiple mule bank accounts before routing the proceeds to Singapore-based cyber fraudsters via hawala channels.
According to the police, the case came to light after a Hyderabad resident lodged a complaint on February 13, 2026, alleging that he had been duped in a matrimony-cum-investment scam.
The victim was reportedly approached by a woman on the Sangam Matrimony platform, who gradually gained his confidence by promising marriage. She later persuaded him to invest in a fake online investment platform, assuring him of high returns.
Believing the investment to be genuine after being shown fabricated profits, the victim transferred Rs 46.65 lakh to several bank accounts. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount, the fraudsters demanded additional charges and eventually blocked his access to the platform.
Realising that he had been cheated, the victim approached the Cyber Crime Police, who registered a case and launched an investigation.
The police traced the money trail to several beneficiary mule bank accounts spread across Telangana and Maharashtra. Police found that nearly Rs 35 lakh of the cheated amount had been routed through accounts maintained with the Indian Overseas Bank.
During the investigation, police found that Sampath managed mule bank accounts on the instructions of an absconding handler and received a 30 per cent commission for facilitating fund transfers.
Naresh allegedly acted as an account holder and helped open mule accounts, besides assisting in the withdrawal of fraudulent funds, for which he earned a 15 per cent commission.
Suresh and Mahesh were also involved in opening mule accounts and withdrawing the money, each receiving a 10 per cent commission, police said.
A mobile phone was seized from the accused during the operation.
The arrests were made by a team of the Cyber Crime Police Station under the supervision of ACP Siva Maruthi and led by Inspector KM Raghavendra.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes) V Arvind Babu urged the public to remain vigilant against cyber fraudsters operating through matrimonial websites, social media platforms, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
He cautioned citizens against investing in unauthorised online trading or stock market schemes promising unusually high returns and advised people not to fall prey to task-based investment scams or so-called “digital arrest” frauds.
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