India is seeing an increase in online scams as con artists keep coming up with new ways to take money. The Digital Arrest fraud, which even attracted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention, is one of the most hazardous. Modi alerted the public to this scam in his most recent Mann Ki Baat speech, in which con artists impersonate government or law enforcement figures in order to intimidate and coerce victims into parting with money.
Fraudsters continue to target victims despite increased awareness campaigns about this cyber crime. A retired engineer from Rohini, Delhi, was recently the victim of a horrific 19-day fraud. He was intimidated and coerced during this time, ultimately losing more than Rs 10 crore.
The 70-year-old was the victim of a scam that started on September 25 when he got a call from a person posing as a courier regarding a returned package from Taiwan that contained illegal drugs.
According to reports, he often stays away from unknown calls, but he responded to this one. The caller said that he was linked to a video conference with a person impersonating as a Mumbai Police officer after receiving a package containing prohibited items that had his Aadhaar data.
The fake officer gained his trust by offering to help him avoid arrest. They tricked him into sharing his bank details and transferring his money to ‘safe’ accounts to protect it. Over the next 19 days, the scammers maintained control over the engineer, claiming an ongoing investigation and pressuring him to transfer large sums of money.
Believing in threats, he transferred Rs 10.3 crore in three separate transactions. On October 14, the scammers alleged that his brother had also become involved in the investigation. This raised the engineer’s suspicions and after discussing it with his brother, he discovered he had fallen victim to a scam.
The police have since managed to freeze Rs 60 lakh of the stolen amount, while efforts are ongoing to recover the rest. The engineer then reported the incident to the police. Later, the case was handed over to the cybercrime unit, which reportedly froze Rs 60 lakh of the stolen funds.
Get the latest news updates and stay informed with FELA NEWS!
Source: Times Now
