Four held in online betting scam

The Cyberabad police arrested four key individuals behind an online betting syndicate that operated through Telegram channels, unauthorised betting websites and mule accounts.

The network, which preyed largely on youth, promised ‘guaranteed toss predictions’ and ‘exclusive insider tips ‘ to lure victims into illegal platforms.

The accused were identified as Chinnamsetti Naga Rakesh, Pottavathini Deepak, Guguloth Sri Ram Naik, and Hemanth Kumar, who collectively ran over a dozen Telegram channels with tens of thousands of followers. The police said they promoted betting through some websites, earning commissions ranging from ₹20 lakh to over ₹1.7 crore.

The arrests followed a complaint lodged by a Miyapur resident who, along with a friend, lost over ₹1.1 crore on Telegram betting groups offering fixed match tips. Based on this complaint, four teams from the Cyber Crime wing launched coordinated operations across cities and arrested the accused on Tuesday.

According to police, these ‘influencers’ acted as regional anchors for the syndicate, targeting users from Telugu-speaking States with carefully curated content and social media manipulation and have been in operation since 2019.

They shared APK files to bypass Google Play Store restrictions and shared vanity URLs in private groups to recruit new users. In some cases, users registered via referral codes from influencers. Once registered, users were encouraged to deposit funds via UPI, IMPS, and NEFT into accounts opened with forged Aadhaar and PAN details. These mule accounts were rotated frequently to dodge financial scrutiny and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.

The ‘influencers’ made between ₹25 lakh to ₹80 lakh, including 1-3% commission per rupee bet and additional monthly income based on follower count and regional influence.

Investigations revealed that while small winnings were occasionally paid out to maintain trust, high-value withdrawals were deliberately blocked, pushing many victims into repeated losses and severe debt. The funds were then laundered through layered transfers, with some amounts converted into cryptocurrency.

The police seized 10 mobile phones, two laptops, five ATM cards, nine passbooks, and other documents during the raid. A list of at least ten illegal websites has been compiled, and the take down processes has been initiated.

Cyberabad Cyber Crimes DCP B. Sai Sri said that several victims have experienced depression, mental health crises and suicidal tendencies. In many cases, families lost their entire savings within weeks of joining these platforms.

The official said that further investigation is underway to prosecute all facilitators, track offshore operators and their Indian collaborators, and freeze associated bank accounts.