Hyderabad: Hyderabad police have registered a case against two fraudsters who allegedly cheated a private employee out of Rs 1.34 crore by tricking him into investing in fake film promotion deals. The victim, a resident of Chatrinaka Arundhati Colony, was approached by two Sri Lankan nationals he met during a trip to Goa.

How Did the Victim Get Tricked?

The victim met the accused, Udayraj and Vivek, at the Big Daddy Casino in Goa in October last year. Posing as event organisers for Telugu film promotions, they claimed to be involved with well-known movies. Udayraj later contacted the victim and met him at a Gachibowli hotel, where he showed photos of OG (2025) director Sujith to make the scam seem credible.

Udayraj convinced the victim that he could double his investment within a week if he contributed Rs 20 lakh for promoting the film Amaran. To gain trust, they even transferred Rs 25 lakh to him in two phases, falsely claiming it was profit from previous promotions.

Rs 1.34 Crore Lost to Fraud

Over time, the duo persuaded the victim to invest further in promotions for films like Sitapayanam, UI, Kangua, Pushpa-2, and Game Changer. In total, the victim handed over Rs 76 lakh through online payments and Rs 58 lakh in cash installments.

To fund these investments, he sold his house in Uppuguda, took loans, and mortgaged jewelry. When promised returns failed to materialise, the victim realised he was duped and approached Hyderabad Cyber Crime Station. Police have launched an investigation and are working to track down the accused.