Hyderabad Police arrest 4 in Rs 1.46 crore matrimony-cum-investment fraud
Police said on Friday that these individuals orchestrated the fraud by utilising multiple mule bank accounts to withdraw fraudulent amounts and transferred the funds to Singapore-based cyber fraudsters through Hawala networks.
The arrested men are Chokkala Sampath, resident of Siddipet, Hechu Naresh, Endla Suresh and Vadkala Mahesh, all residents of Secunderabad.
On February 13, 2026, the Cyber Crime Police received a complaint from the complainant stating that he was cheated in a matrimony-cum- investment fraud. The accused impersonated a woman on the Sangam Matrimony platform, developed a relationship by promising marriage, and lured the victim into investing in a fake investment platform by promising high returns.
V. Arvind Babu, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes, stated that after showing fake profits, the fraudsters induced the victim to transfer Rs 46.65 lakh to multiple bank accounts. When the victim attempted to withdraw the amount, they demanded additional charges and blocked the withdrawal. The victim then realised he had been cheated and lodged a complaint.
The investigation revealed that the beneficiary mule bank accounts involved in the money trail were spread across the states of Maharashtra and Telangana, including accounts maintained with Indian Overseas Bank, through which a total of Rs 35 lakh of the cheated amount was routed.
Sampath, as per the instructions of the handler (absconding) from higher-level operatives, managed mule accounts, ensuring smooth fund transfers and received a 30% commission.
Naresh is an account holder, and he assisted in opening mule accounts for fraudulent purposes. Police said he facilitated the withdrawal of funds from these accounts, bypassing potential scrutiny and received a 15% commission on deposits made into mule accounts he helped manage.
Suresh and Mahesh also assisted in opening mule accounts for fraudulent purposes and received a 10% commission each.
Police have cautioned people not to believe unknown persons who introduce themselves over social media platforms like Matrimonial, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook offering them to invest in the stock market and trading for getting high returns and task-oriented investment offers.
