A 52-year-old priest from Puranapul lost ₹5.99 lakh after being duped by a fraudster impersonating an Indian Army officer.
The Hyderabad cyber crimes police booked a case.
An officer from the wing said that the victim received a call on August 23 from a man introducing himself as Captain Aman Kumar from the ‘Secunderabad Military Office’. He claimed a senior officer was unwell and sought 21 priests to perform a 11-day puja, promising an advance of ₹3 lakh.
“Later, during a video call from a different number, the fraudster tricked him into entering his credit card details and PIN, resulting in multiple unauthorised transactions of ₹2 lakh, ₹1 lakh, ₹5,000, ₹1,99,997.46 and ₹95,000,” said the officer.
Realising he had been cheated, the victim reported the incident through the cybercrime helpline 1930.
A case was booked by the cyber crime wing of Hyderabad police.
Meanwhile, police urged people not to share sensitive financial details, follow payment instructions on calls, or trust small test transfers meant to build confidence before major frauds. Authorities stressed the importance of verifying identities through official channels and reporting cyber frauds promptly.
Published – August 25, 2025 07:49 pm IST
