Hyderabad: A man in Hyderabad lost Rs 9,30,000 after a cyber fraudster who posed as a telephone department official placed him under “digital arrest”.
The victim received an automated call from a fraudster posing as a telephone department official, who informed him that his phone had been hacked. The fraudster using his phone number, opened an account in a bank in Mumbai and resorted to money laundering to the tune of Rs 6 crore.
In his complaint, the victim stated that the fraudster claimed a case had been registered against him by the Mumbai police. The fraudster threatened to permanently block his number and also impersonated the DCP of the Mumbai crime branch, falsely assuring the victim that he would not be arrested as he was innocent.
Hyderabad: Senior citizen duped of Rs 14 lakh via ‘digital arrest’ scam
According to the police, the situation escalated when the fraudster claimed that the victim’s son had been kidnapped. They stated that two constables had been sent to Moghalpura police station to bring him back. Further, the fraudsters alleged that illegal money was deposited into the victim’s bank account from multiple sources, implicating him in money laundering and illegal activities.
The fraudster then sent a fake letter from TRAI authorities, instructing him not to leave his residence or withdraw money without their permission. The victim was coerced into reporting to the fraudsters every hour via video call.
Believing these threats, the victim went to the bank and transferred Rs 9,30,000 through RTGS. However, he soon realised he was cheated and approached the Hyderabad cybercrime police, who booked a case and took up an investigation.
Digital arrest cases in Hyderabad
A few cases of digital arrest have been reported across Hyderabad in the recent past. A 67-year-old woman and her two daughters were subjected to a 17-day ordeal of ‘digital arrest,’ during which they were kept under constant digital surveillance by scammers posing as investigators from national agencies.
In November, a senior citizen held under digital arrest lost Rs 14 lakh. In his complaint, the victim stated that he received calls from a person who claimed to be from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Delhi police. The man claimed on orders of the Supreme Court, ministry of finance and RBI. A case was filed against him and he is being investigated for money laundering.
