You are under ‘digital arrest‘: What you need to know about this scam

In yet another case of cyber fraud, a 77-year-old homemaker from Mumbai was kept under 'digital custody' for over a month and duped of Rs 3.8 crore by scammers posing as law enforcement officials investigating a fabricated money laundering case.

According to the police, the ordeal began when the victim received a phone call alleging that a parcel she had sent to Taiwan contained five passports, a bank card, 4 kg of clothes, and MDMA drugs. The woman, who resides with her husband while her children live abroad, denied sending any such parcel. However, she was told that her Aadhaar card was used in the purported crime.

The call was transferred to a person posing as a police officer who claimed that her Aadhaar card was linked to a money laundering case. The victim was coerced into downloading Skype and instructed to remain on 24/7 communication through the app without disconnecting or informing anyone.

Two individuals, pretending to be IPS officers Anand Rana and George Mathew from the finance department, demanded her bank details under the guise of verifying her innocence. They manipulated her into transferring funds to six different bank accounts, promising that the money would be returned if found "clear." To build trust, the scammers initially returned Rs 15 lakh before extracting the entire sum.

The woman was placed under "voluntary surveillance," with the scammers tracking her movements through a continuous WhatsApp call. Over a month, she transferred Rs 3.8 crore, believing it was part of the investigation.

The fraud came to light when the victim finally confided in her husband, who alerted the authorities. A case has been registered, and investigations are underway to trace the accused.

Cybercrime experts have urged citizens to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal or financial information over calls or messages. “Law enforcement agencies do not operate in this manner,” a police official stated, adding that no genuine officer would demand money transfers for investigations.

In a similar turn of events, officials said on Sunday, November 24, that a woman in Noida was duped of Rs 34 lakh in a case of "digital arrest" by cyber criminals who threatened her with fake notices from the Enforcement Directorate.

The fraudsters claimed that a parcel is being sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name containing five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 US dollars and 200 grams of narcotics, they said.

In her complaint, the victim said she received a call from the fraudsters around 10 p.m. on 8 August 2024.

Inspector-in-charge Vijay Kumar Gautam said the Gautam Buddha cyber crime police station has registered a case and started investigating.

According to the complaint of Nidhi Paliwal, a resident of Sector-41, the fraudsters sent her a complaint via WhatsApp and asked her to send Rs 34 lakh.

An accused also video called her on Skype with the video switched off, Paliwal said in her complaint.

Inspector Gautam said the accused also sent two notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which serious allegations were made against the victim. He said a probe is underway.

In Chandigarh, a 56-year-old tuition teacher claimed that he remained “digital arrest” for 22 days, and was duped of Rs 51.27 lakh by the fraudsters posing as enforcement officials, including representatives from Mumbai Police and the CBI, according to a report by the Indian Express. The victim claimed that he received a phone call on 2 October.

He was informed that a SIM card had been issued in his name in Mumbai using his Aadhaar card and further said that the SIM was linked to numerous fraudulent activities, leading to seven complaints and one FIR against him. He was then told he would be connected with a policeman from Maharashtra Police. The said police officer told the victim that he was under probe for a fraud committed in Mumbai.

The victim was told to remain at home and never switch off his phone and consolidate his funds, including FDs, bank balances, and investments, and transfer the total amount to a specified RBI account for "verification purposes." Since his money, Rs 48 lakh, was not from criminal proceedings, the scammers assured it would be returned.

The victim claimed he was then asked to deposit Rs 1.5 lakh, which was to be paid to the RBI officials as their investigation fee.

On 24 October, he asked the scammers about the status of the case and the return of his money. He was then told to deposit Rs 2 lakh more for the no-objection certificate (NOC). A former professor of Patna University had fallen victim to a massive cyber fraud, losing Rs 3.07 crore to conmen who reportedly "digitally arrested" her for two days.

The professor, who lives alone in Patna, received a call from an individual claiming to be a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. The caller falsely accused her of involvement in a money-laundering case. The scammers escalated the pressure by making a video call where the caller wore a police uniform for credibility.

The pattern of these cyber crimes:

- The scammers claim to be high-profile government officials

- They usually claim a misuse of Aadhar card

- Akways ask to keep the mobile phone switched on all the time

- Scammers video call in official uniforms to add credibility