A Mumbai man was recently scammed out of ₹1.57 crore in a 'digital arrest' cyber fraud, highlighting the growing threat of online scams and the importance of cyber security awareness.
Key Points
- A 69-year-old Mumbai resident lost ₹1.57 crore in a 'digital arrest' cyber fraud.
- The victim was tricked by criminals posing as police officers who threatened him with arrest.
- The scam involved a fake courtroom and demands to transfer funds to 'official accounts'.
- An autorickshaw driver was arrested for his role in the scam, highlighting the network involved.
- Police are investigating to apprehend other individuals involved in the sophisticated cyber fraud racket.
A 69-year-old man was cheated of Rs 1.57 crore in a 'digital arrest' cyber fraud, a Mumbai police official said on Monday.
The victim, a resident of Andheri who retired from a private firm, was trapped by a cyber criminal who called him in December last year and claimed he had been circulating obscene clips for the sake of extortion, the West Region Division Cyber Cell official said citing the complaint.
Details of the Cyber Fraud
"He also got calls from the accused posing as police officers. He was threatened with arrest. The accused even showed him a fake courtroom. The victim was told to transfer all his funds to so-called official accounts as part of the investigation or face immediate arrest. He transferred Rs 1.57 crore, after which the calls stopped," the official said.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
On realising he had been duped, the senior citizen approached police, which managed to unravel the money trail, leading to the arrest of autorickshaw driver Ashok Pal.
"Pal was arrested for allowing his bank account for parking of funds in return for a commission. Efforts are on to nab others involved in this racket," the official added.
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