Hyderabad man, 82, duped of Rs 72 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud
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Hyderabad: An 82-year-old resident of Banjara Hills lost Rs 72 lakh after falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam, in which fraudsters posing as officials of the Mumbai Crime Branch intimidated him for ten days before coercing him into transferring the money, reported Eenadu.
According to the complaint filed with the Narayanaguda cybercrime police, the victim received a WhatsApp video call on 11 August from a man in police uniform who introduced himself as a Crime Branch officer. The caller accused him of involvement in a money laundering case, claiming that an account had been opened using his Aadhaar details and his name was being linked as an accused.
The fraudsters told the elderly man that he was under “digital arrest” and warned him not to speak to anyone. The next day, they forced him to give a false statement before what they claimed was the Supreme Court through another video call.
Under constant psychological pressure, the man transferred Rs 72 lakh into bank accounts specified by the gang, believing it was required until the “investigation” was over. When the fraudsters later demanded more money, he realized he had been duped and approached the police.
Investigations into the scam are under way.