Arrest of 4 in online betting fraud
RSD- Hyderabad news: The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad City arrested four accused persons involved in facilitating large scale online betting fraud by supplying SIM cards used for illegal betting operations. The arrested persons were identified as Mohammed Syeed Uddin, Mohd Tajuddin, Mohd Younis , and MD. Ayub, all residents of the Charminar Zone of Hyderabad. The accused allegedly provided SIM cards obtained in the names of their family members and friends, which were later used for promoting fraudulent online betting platforms through social media advertisements and communication with victims. According to the complaint, a 36 year old Hyderabad resident was contacted through WhatsApp messages and phone calls by individuals claiming to represent the online betting platform “BETINEXCHANGE.” The fraudsters induced him to participate in cricket betting, Teen Patti, and casino style online games by promising high and assured profits. Initially, the victim invested Rs.20,001 and received a profit of Rs.5,000, which created trust in the platform. Encouraged by repeated persuasion from the fraudsters, he subsequently deposited money through bank transfers, UPI IDs, QR codes, and cash deposit machines. Between 2025 and January 2026, the victim transferred approximately Rs.1.5 crore from his and his wife’s bank accounts. Though he initially received around Rs.20 lakh as returns, the accused later manipulated the betting system, blocked withdrawals, and diverted him to multiple interconnected betting websites, ultimately causing heavy financial loss. Investigation revealed that the main accused Mohammed Syeed Uddin had earlier worked in a cricket betting call centre in Dubai. After returning to India, he arranged SIM cards from acquaintances by offering Rs.600 per SIM card. Co-accused Mohd Tajuddin, Mohd Younis, and MD. Ayub collected SIM cards registered in the names of their relatives and friends and handed them over to Mohammed Syeed Uddin. He later transported approximately 250 SIM cards to Dubai and supplied them to another accused identified as Mudassir from Gujarat, who paid Rs.1,200 per SIM card. These SIM cards were used by other members of the network to operate illegal betting websites and contact victims while posing as customer support representatives to lure them into depositing money. A case has been registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act, Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Sections 3 and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act. Five mobile phones were seized during the operation. The case was detected by a team led by Inspector of Police P. Shiva Chandra along with officers and staff of the Cyber Crime Police, Hyderabad. Efforts are ongoing to trace the money trail, freeze additional bank accounts linked to the fraud, and apprehend the remaining absconding accused involved in the online betting racket.
