Copyright deccanchronicle
Visakhapatnam : The Visakhapatnam Cyber Crime Police have arrested five persons from Krishna district for allegedly activating hundreds of fake SIM cards and enabling cybercrimes, including the notorious “digital arrest’’ scam.The arrests followed a complaint from Yedla Lakshmana (59) of Gajuwaka, who lost 14 lakh after fraudsters posing as police and CBI officials threatened him and demanded money to “clear his name,” City Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi said. Lakshmana received a call on 17 August 2025 from a man claiming to be a Bengaluru police officer, who falsely told him a SIM card in his name was being misused. The call was then transferred to an impersonator posing as a CBI officer, who demanded 15 lakh. Frightened, Lakshmana transferred 14 lakh before realising he had been duped. Investigations revealed that the accused, who ran mobile shops in Krishna district, exploited unsuspecting and illiterate villagers to procure fake SIM cards. Police estimate that 300 to 350 SIMs were issued fraudulently and later used to create thousands of fake Gmail and social media accounts, which were supplied to cybercriminal networks operating from Thailand, Cambodia and other countries. Those arrested are Puli Naga Tarakeswara Rao, Padamata Siva Krishna, Balla Naga Raju, Yerra Naga Venkata Sai Pawan Chandu, and Shaik Abdul Kareem. A case (Cr. No. 219/2025) has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
