Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters used a photograph of a Saudi Arabia-based relative to cheat a 37-year-old man from the city, police said.
Scammers copied the WhatsApp display picture of the victim’s nephew, who lives in Saudi Arabia, and used it to start a conversation. Claiming they had some funds to keep safely, they asked for the victim’s bank account details. The man believed the story and shared his account information.
The fraudsters then sent a fake City Bank voucher, stating they had transferred ₹1 lakh. The following day, they called again, claiming passport and visa issues, and asked the victim to pay ₹1.5 lakh to an agent, promising to return the amount along with an additional ₹50,000.
Trusting their assurances, the man transferred the requested sums. In total, he paid ₹1.90 lakh in multiple transactions.
When the fraudsters continued to demand more, suspicion arose, and the victim approached the cyber crime police on Saturday to lodge a complaint.
