Hyderabad pensioner duped of Rs 51 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ scam, second such case this week

Hyderabad: A 78-year-old retired Central government employee from Hyderabad lost Rs 51 lakh after falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud, where criminals impersonated police officials to extort money under false allegations.

According to police, the victim, a resident of Srinagar Colony, received a call from a person claiming to be an ACP from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The caller falsely accused him of being linked to bomb blast and kidnapping cases, alleging that his mobile SIM was misused for criminal activities.

The fraudster further claimed that multiple SIM cards had been issued in the pensioner’s name and even showed forged CBI notices accusing him of money laundering. The senior citizen was then subjected to a “digital arrest” – the scammer kept him on a continuous video call, preventing him from contacting family or friends.

Under the pretext of “saving himself from arrest,” the victim was instructed to transfer 95% of his bank savings to a “secure government account.” Out of fear, he transferred Rs 51 lakh, only to realise later that he had been cheated. He subsequently approached the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police, who have registered a case and begun investigations.

This incident marks the second ‘digital arrest’ fraud in Hyderabad within a week. In an earlier case, a 73-year-old woman lost Rs 1.43 crore to conmen who impersonated Bengaluru police officers, falsely linking her Aadhaar number to a child trafficking and murder case.

The fraudsters even displayed a fake arrest warrant and CBI account-freeze order, coercing her into transferring money to avoid arrest.

Recently, Hyderabad Police commissioner VC Sajjanar cautioned citizens about cybercriminals creating fake WhatsApp accounts using his photo to deceive people. He urged the public to avoid responding to suspicious calls or messages and to block and report such numbers immediately.

(with inputs from agencies)