Senior citizens in Hyderabad lost ₹102.02 crore to cyber fraudsters in 403 cases registered between January 2025 and July 2026, with trading frauds and digital arrest scams accounting for the bulk of the losses, according to Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police.
The data showed that 113 trading fraud cases resulted in losses of ₹55.88 crore, while 69 digital arrest cases caused losses of ₹31.93 crore. OTP frauds were the most frequent, with 115 cases and losses of ₹4.94 crore. Investment fraud accounted for 22 cases involving ₹2.79 crore.
Seven cases involving dating fraud and honeytraps resulted in losses of more than ₹70.11 lakh, with fraudsters allegedly exploiting the emotional isolation of elderly victims through fake social media and dating profiles.
Police said there had been a decline in such crimes in 2026. In 2025, 285 cases involving senior citizens were registered, with losses of ₹71.81 crore. Till July 31 this year, 118 cases were registered and losses stood at ₹30.20 crore, bringing the monthly average down from 24 cases in 2025 to 17 this year.
In one recent case, a 75-year-old retired government officer from Jubilee Hills was allegedly lured by a part-time job offer on WhatsApp and later moved to a Telegram group offering foreign exchange trading. After showing him fake profits, fraudsters allegedly extracted ₹96 lakh from him as withdrawal and processing fees.
Investigators said family members often failed to notice changes in elderly relatives’ digital activity or banking transactions, resulting in fraud being detected only after substantial amounts had been lost. Alert bank staff, however, had helped prevent several high-value frauds by questioning unusual transactions, including premature closure of fixed deposits and large RTGS or NEFT transfers.
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar urged senior citizens not to panic when contacted by people claiming to be police or government officials. He said there was no legal procedure called “digital arrest” and no law-enforcement agency would demand money or conduct interrogations over phone or video calls.
Police advised citizens to report cyber fraud immediately by calling 1930 or through the national cyber crime reporting portal. Officials said reporting during the ‘golden hour’ could help banks and investigators freeze fraudulent transactions and improve the chances of recovering the money.
Published – August 09, 2026 07:13 pm IST
