Bengaluru News: In a disturbing case of a “digital arrest” scam, cyber fraudsters used fear, fake documents and even a staged visit by a stranger to convince a 74-year-old man that he was under official investigation. The fraudsters eventually cheated him of Rs 50 lakh. The victim, Pratap (name changed), is a retired man who lives in Domlur, a small township in eastern Bengaluru. In a complaint filed with the East Cyber Crime police, he said the fraud began on March 5 at around 3.30 pm when he received a phone call from a man who claimed to be a telecom officer. The caller told him that his mobile number had been used in a money-laundering case and that he needed to cooperate with an official inquiry.
Soon after the call, the fraudsters contacted him through a WhatsApp video call. During the call, they told him he was under “digital arrest” and warned him not to tell anyone about the investigation. They tried to make the situation look official by sending him documents titled
“Financial Transaction Committee Order” with a letterhead that appeared to belong to the Supreme Court of India. They also claimed the inquiry was being carried out by an authority called the Protection of Anti-Money Laundering Office of India, reported The Times of India.
Pratap repeatedly told the callers that he had done nothing wrong. However, the fraudsters insisted that he was a suspect. They told him that he could prove his innocence only if he fully cooperated with them. They then instructed him to follow what they called a “standard protocol”, which included not speaking to anyone for the next 72 hours.
To increase the pressure, the callers claimed that officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Navi Mumbai were monitoring the case. They even told him that field officers were stationed near his house and were tracking his movements.
Fraudsters Sent Medicine to Keep Close Watch on Victim
On March 7 at around 8.30am, Pratap told the callers that he needed to step out to buy medicine for his blood pressure from a nearby pharmacy. In a strange turn of events, the fraudsters told him not to leave the house and said one of their men would bring the medicine to him.
Within ten minutes, a stranger arrived at his home carrying the medicine. This made Pratap believe that the callers were indeed watching him closely. However, despite the pressure, he refused to accept the medicine from the man.
Later that morning, at around 10.30am, the fraudsters asked him to join another video call, which they described as a virtual court hearing. During this call, they told him that the court had passed an order of acquittal in his favour. They even sent him a document that looked like a court order.
Soon after, the callers told him that he must deposit Rs 50 lakh as part of the court’s directions. Frightened by the threats and convinced by the staged proceedings, Pratap transferred the money through RTGS to a current account in the name of Payncare Technologie.
After making the transfer, Pratap began to suspect that something was wrong. He contacted his bank, which advised him to call the cybercrime helpline 1930 and file a complaint. He then approached the police the following day.
A senior police officer said Pratap was alone at home during the incident. His son lives abroad, and his wife was visiting him at the time. Because of this, he had no one around to discuss the situation with, which made it easier for the fraudsters to manipulate and frighten him. Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the digital arrest scam, which is an emerging form of cyber fraud where criminals impersonate law enforcement officers and use fear and fake legal procedures to extort money from victims.
