UP doctor duped of Rs 60 lakh after 'digital arrest'

Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes in order to scam them.
The offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology.

A 40-year-old doctor in Noida fell victim to an elaborate cyber fraud, losing around Rs 60 lakh over two days during which she was held under 'digital house arrest' by the fraudsters, officials said Thursday.

The accused, posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), coerced her into transferring her money under the threat of a fabricated arrest warrant, they said.

Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes in order to scam them.

The offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology.

According to police, the complainant Dr Pooja Goel, who lives in Sector 77 in Noida, received a call on July 13 from individuals claiming to be TRAI officials.

The caller alleged that another phone number registered in her name had been used to purchase illegal obscene videos. They warned her that failure to transfer all her funds would result in an arrest warrant, the police said.

Sharing further details about the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Vivek Ranjan Rai said, "The woman was connected (on call) to 'Tilak Nagar Police Station, Mumbai', where she was falsely informed about an FIR and arrest warrant related to the circulation of illegal pornographic videos linked to her name."

The scamsters escalated the situation by implicating her in a money laundering case investigation, he said.

"The callers instructed her to join a video call, during which they employed various threats, placing her under 'digital arrest'. They menaced her with potential harm to her and her family, including the abduction of her daughter," said ACP Rai.

The doctor complied with their demands and ended up transferring Rs 59,54,000 from her bank account to those of the fraudsters between July 15 and July 16, he said.

In her police complaint, Goel mentioned, "The fraudsters also have my Aadhaar card details and photographs which they can misuse. I request police to take action in the matter immediately."

An FIR was lodged in the matter at the Cyber Crime police station in Sector 36, Noida, on Monday.

The police said the unidentified suspects under sections 308 (2) [extortion], 319 (2) [impersonation], 318 (4) [cheating] of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, and relevant sections of the IT Act.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Cyber Crime Police Station earlier this month issued a detailed advisory to raise public awareness about the increasing threat of cybercrime, highlighting several prevalent scams and provided crucial precautions for citizens to avoid falling victim to these fraudulent activities.

The advisory warned of a specific scam involving calls received from unknown or international numbers on mobile phones or WhatsApp wherein the caller typically impersonates officials from the Customs Department, Narcotics Department, or CBI, claiming that the recipient's documents were found in a suspicious package containing drugs, documents, clothing, an Aadhar card, and a SIM card.

The police also urged citizens to immediately report cyber offences at 112 or 1930.