Hyderabad senior citizens lose Rs 102 crore to cyber fraud in 19 months; retiree duped of Rs 96 lakh
A 75-year-old retired government employee in Hyderabad lost Rs 96 lakh after a WhatsApp part-time job offer led him into a fake foreign exchange trading scheme.
He is among 403 senior citizens who collectively lost Rs 102.02 crore to cyber fraud in just 19 months, highlighting how aggressively cybercriminals are targeting the elderly in the city.
Senior citizens becoming targets
According to Hyderabad City Police data, the cases involving people above 60 were registered between January 2025 and July 31.
Police said fraudsters are increasingly exploiting senior citizens through fake investment schemes, ‘digital arrest’ threats, OTP frauds and emotional scams.
WhatsApp job offer turns into Rs 96-lakh trading fraud
The Jubilee Hills resident was initially approached through WhatsApp with an offer for part-time work. The scammers reportedly assigned him small tasks and paid him some money, winning his confidence.
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He was later added to a Telegram group and persuaded to invest in foreign exchange trading. A fake platform displayed what appeared to be substantial profits, encouraging him to put in more money.
When he tried to withdraw the supposed profits, the fraudsters demanded additional payments citing withdrawal and processing charges.
He eventually lost Rs 96 lakh in multiple transactions.
Govt retiree loses Rs 85 lakh
In another case, a 70-year-old retired gazetted officer allegedly lost Rs 85 lakh after receiving a WhatsApp video call from a man posing as a Mumbai police officer.
The scammer claimed that a money-laundering case had been registered against the victim and threatened to arrest him. Fake documents were reportedly used to make the threat appear genuine.
Under the guise of verifying his bank accounts, the victim was allegedly made to transfer Rs 85 lakh through a single RTGS transaction.
He is among 403 senior citizens who collectively lost Rs 102.02 crore to cyber fraud in just 19 months, highlighting how aggressively cybercriminals are targeting the elderly in the city.
Senior citizens becoming targets
According to Hyderabad City Police data, the cases involving people above 60 were registered between January 2025 and July 31.
Police said fraudsters are increasingly exploiting senior citizens through fake investment schemes, ‘digital arrest’ threats, OTP frauds and emotional scams.
WhatsApp job offer turns into Rs 96-lakh trading fraud
The Jubilee Hills resident was initially approached through WhatsApp with an offer for part-time work. The scammers reportedly assigned him small tasks and paid him some money, winning his confidence.
Also Read - Centre forwards ₹21,616 Cr Vizag, Vijayawada Metro Rail DPRs for financial appraisal
He was later added to a Telegram group and persuaded to invest in foreign exchange trading. A fake platform displayed what appeared to be substantial profits, encouraging him to put in more money.
When he tried to withdraw the supposed profits, the fraudsters demanded additional payments citing withdrawal and processing charges.
He eventually lost Rs 96 lakh in multiple transactions.
Govt retiree loses Rs 85 lakh
In another case, a 70-year-old retired gazetted officer allegedly lost Rs 85 lakh after receiving a WhatsApp video call from a man posing as a Mumbai police officer.
The scammer claimed that a money-laundering case had been registered against the victim and threatened to arrest him. Fake documents were reportedly used to make the threat appear genuine.
Under the guise of verifying his bank accounts, the victim was allegedly made to transfer Rs 85 lakh through a single RTGS transaction.