82-year-old man loses Rs 72 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ scam

Hyderabad: In another appalling case of cybercrime, an 82-year-old Banjara Hills resident was cheated out of Rs 72 lakh by scammers who claimed to be officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The gang allegedly put him under a “digital arrest” for ten days, mentally terrorizing him till he remitted the money, reported Eenadu.

The ‘digital arrest’ trap

As per the complaint lodged to Narayanaguda cybercrime police, the victim got a WhatsApp video call on August 11. In the call, a person wearing a police uniform identified himself as a Crime Branch official and blamed the victim for his involvement in a money laundering case.

The caller stated that an account was being opened with the Aadhaar card of the victim and his name was being enrolled as an accused.

The scammers informed the elderly man that he had been “digitally arrested” and instructed him not to talk to anyone.

The following morning, he was compelled to provide a false statement before what he was informed was the Supreme Court via another video link. In constant intimidation, the man paid Rs 72 lakh into accounts given by the fraudsters, thinking it was necessary until the “investigation” was finished. When additional demands were made, he realized that he had been tricked and went to the police.