3 hrs ago
Two cyber criminals arrested in digital arrest gold extortion
Police arrested two men accused of pretending to be police officers on the phone.
They targeted people who trade gold.
One accused used a photograph of himself wearing a police uniform on WhatsApp and Truecaller.
He told a trader that the trader had bought stolen gold.
He threatened the trader with arrest and harm to his reputation.
The trader then sent ₹88,026 using a QR code.
Police said the men collected about ₹4.20 lakh from traders in two states.
Police told people not to send money after suspicious calls and to call 1930 if they are cheated.
Kesamudram police arrested Sheikh Irfan and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth for allegedly extorting money from gold traders.
Irfan used a police-uniform photograph on WhatsApp and Truecaller to impersonate a police officer.
A gold trader transferred ₹88,026 after being threatened with arrest over allegedly handling stolen gold.
Police said the accused collected about ₹4.20 lakh from traders in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh between August 15 and September 15.
The accused had also faced similar cases in 2024–25, and police advised victims to call 1930.
- Who
- Sheikh Irfan and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth, according to police.
- What
- They were arrested for allegedly impersonating police officers and extorting money from gold traders through threats of “digital arrest.”
- Where
- The arrests were made by Kesamudram police, and the alleged crimes involved traders in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- When
- They were arrested on September 20; the reported collection of about ₹4.20 lakh occurred between August 15 and September 15.
- Why
- Police said the accused used false police identities and arrest threats to illegally obtain money.
Key facts
- Arrested
- Sheikh Irfan, 29, and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth, 26
- Arresting agency
- Kesamudram police
- Reported victim payment
- ₹88,026 transferred through a QR code
- Alleged total collection
- About ₹4.20 lakh
- Reported period
- August 15 to September 15
- Items seized
- A police uniform and a mobile phone
- Cybercrime helpline
- 1930
Sources
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