Hyderabad: A 35-year-old fraudster was arrested on Monday, November 18, by the Panjagutta police for allegedly duping over 200 individuals across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with an estimated amount of Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh since 2018.

The accused has been identified as Marisarla Balaji Naidu, a computer engineering graduate from SV University, Tirupati.

According to reports, the accused targeted sellers on the OLX platform, agreeing to purchase pre-owned mobile phones at their listed price. Using the original photos, he reposted the phones at lower prices. Interested buyers were directed to the original sellers, with Naidu posing as a mediator and ensuring parties refrained from discussing financial transactions. He then collected payments through UPI IDs or QR codes and blocked buyers and sellers after receiving the money.

Police investigation revealed that the accused also manipulated individuals at ATMs or CDMs, citing technical issues and using their UPI accounts for fraudulent transactions. The money was spent on online betting apps like DafaBet, SARA, Rummy Time, and Rummy Circle.

He operated with 23 different SIM cards, enabling his widespread fraud.

So far, 138 victims have lodged complaints through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), while 19 cases were registered in police stations across Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Rachakonda, Vijayawada, and Tirupati. The accused had previously been arrested for similar offenses in Bangalore, Vijayawada, and Tirupati.