Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar cautioned the public against cyber fraudsters exploiting the State government’s Indiramma Towers housing scheme, warning beneficiaries not to fall prey to fake calls, fraudulent websites and phishing links seeking money or personal information.

The advisory comes as beneficiaries begin paying the ₹10,000 earnest money deposit (EMD) under the housing scheme.

Commissioner Sajjanar said the selection process was completely transparent and did not involve brokers or middlemen. He clarified that if an applicant was not allotted a house, the entire EMD would be refunded directly to the bank account used for the payment.

He warned people against believing anyone claiming they could secure a house in return for money or creating panic by falsely stating that applications would be cancelled unless payments were made immediately.

The Commissioner also cautioned beneficiaries against clicking on unknown links received through WhatsApp or SMS or downloading APK files, saying these could compromise mobile phones and lead to bank fraud. He said cybercriminals could also create fake government websites or persuade applicants to install screen-sharing applications such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer to gain access to their banking credentials.

The officer advised the public never to share Aadhaar details, bank account information or one-time passwords with strangers. He also reminded beneficiaries that a UPI PIN is required only to send money and should never be entered to receive a refund.

For queries relating to the Indiramma housing scheme, beneficiaries can contact the government helpline on 040-24603572. Victims of cyber fraud have been urged to immediately report the incident by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or lodging a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to improve the chances of freezing the stolen funds.

Published - July 26, 2026 08:17 pm IST