Mumbai senior citizen loses Rs 16.5 lakh after cyber fraudsters stage ‘digital arrest’ over fake Delhi blast probe
Mumbai: A 75-year-old retired civic official from Mumbai was allegedly cheated of Rs 16.5 lakh after cybercriminals posing as officers of central investigation agencies placed him under what they called a “digital arrest,” falsely linking him to a Delhi bomb blast case, police said.
The victim, who lives in Andheri East and is a former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, approached the West Region Cyber Police Station earlier this week to report the fraud.
According to the complaint, the man received a phone call on December 11 from unidentified persons claiming to be officials from Delhi’s anti-terrorism wing. The caller warned him that his name had surfaced during investigations into a bomb blast near the Red Fort in November last year, in which more than a dozen people were killed. He was told that a confidential interrogation was required.
The fraudsters then instructed the senior citizen to download the Signal messaging app, where they contacted him through a video call. During the call, one of the accused impersonated a senior National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer, further intensifying the pressure.
Police said the caller alleged that a bank account linked to the victim’s mobile number had received nearly Rs 7 crore through money laundering and threatened immediate arrest. Claiming the matter involved national security, the impostors warned the victim against sharing the details with family members or anyone else.
Under the guise of verifying whether his savings and investments were legitimate, the fraudsters directed the elderly man to transfer money to specific bank accounts for “verification.” Fearing arrest, the victim transferred a total of Rs 16.5 lakh. Soon after the transactions were completed, the callers cut off contact and blocked his number.
Realising he had been cheated, the victim approached the cyber police, who have now registered a case against unknown persons and launched an investigation.
Police said “digital arrest” is an emerging cybercrime tactic in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials, court authorities or government officers to intimidate victims through phone or video calls. Victims are psychologically coerced into believing they are under official surveillance or custody and are pressured into paying money.
In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a coordinated, pan-India probe into digital arrest frauds while hearing a suo motu case based on a complaint by an elderly couple from Haryana. The Ministry of Home Affairs later informed the court that a high-level committee has been set up to examine the issue and suggest measures to curb such crimes.
(with inputs from agencies)
