Adilabad (Telangana) police arrested 23‑year‑old Dinesh Patel of Udaipur in Gujarat on charges of a ₹4.20 lakh fake online escort service scam
Police say Patel sent fake escort links via WhatsApp and Instagram, leading victims to make 16 unauthorized transactions totalling ₹4,20,210 on Telegram and WhatsApp
Background of the incident
A resident of Sangri village (Bela mandal, Adilabad) told police he received a link to "royalescort.com", paid ₹2,200 via PhonePe, and subsequent 16 transactions debited a total of ₹4,20,210
Bela police registered the case and started investigation; police say ₹2 lakh was returned to the victim under legal process
Key points of investigation
- Patel bought SIM cards using other people’s documents and spread links to fake escort sites
- Financial transactions were routed through mule bank accounts and Amazon‑Flipkart gift cards
- Police seized three mobile phones, an HP laptop and a mini iPad; forensic investigation is ongoing on them
Police’s public message
SP Akhil Mahajan of Adilabad urged the public to avoid unknown links, verify online services, and immediately inform banks. He urged reporting to cyber‑crime helpline 1930 and official portal www.cybercrime.gov.in