The incident occurred in July of this year but was reported to the Powai police on Nov 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned people about the growing threat of "digital arrest" frauds. He assured the public that investigative agencies were working with state governments to address the issue, emphasizing the importance of awareness in protecting oneself from such scams.
The latest victim of the increasingly common cybercrime known as "digital arrest" is a student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, who lost ₹7.29 lakh to a fraudster posing as a representative of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The incident occurred in July of this year but was reported to the Powai police on Nov 26. The 25-year-old victim received a call from an unidentified number, police officials said.
The caller, pretending to be a TRAI representative, informed the student that his mobile number had been the subject of 17 complaints alleging unlawful activity.
The scammer threatened to cancel the student's number unless he obtained a police no-objection certificate (NOC).
The caller then allegedly transferred the conversation to a "Cyber Crime Branch" representative.
"The victim received a call from an unknown number in July. The caller posed as a TRAI employee and claimed that 17 complaints of illegal activities had been registered against his mobile number," said an official at the Powai police station in Mumbai.
The victim was further convinced of the call's legitimacy by a WhatsApp video chat with a man wearing what appeared to be a police uniform.
The individual asked for the student's Aadhaar number and accused him of money laundering.
According to police, the victim was coerced into paying ₹29,500 via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to avoid being arrested.
The scammer then increased the pressure, claiming that the victim was under "digital arrest," a term used to describe online extortion, where victims are coerced into making payments to avoid fabricated legal action.
The student was told not to speak to anyone during the "arrest" and was warned of serious consequences if he did.
The fraud continued the following day when the scammer called again, demanding more money.
Feeling helpless, the student provided his bank account details, allowing the fraudsters to withdraw an additional ₹7 lakh.
The scammers assured the victim that the "arrest" had been lifted and that he was now safe after making the payment.
It wasn't until the student looked up "digital arrest" online that he realized he had been deceived.
He immediately reported the scam to the Powai police, who launched an investigation. The culprits, who have not yet been identified, are being sought by the authorities.
The Powai police have also issued a warning to the public about such scams, which are becoming increasingly common in the digital age.
Earlier, SP Oswal, chairman and managing director of the Vardhman Group, was scammed out of more than ₹7 crore last month after being falsely told that he was under investigation for money laundering.
In another case, a journalist from one of India’s leading media organizations fell victim to "digital arrest."
On Oct 28, a Hyderabad-based techie who was placed under "digital arrest" by cybercriminals in a fake money laundering case for nearly 30 hours managed to escape with the help of police, thankfully without losing money.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address on the 115th edition of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program on Oct 27, cautioned people about the growing threat of "digital arrest" frauds.
He assured the public that investigative agencies were working with state governments to address the issue, emphasizing the importance of awareness in protecting oneself from such scams.
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