Callers pretending to be TRAI and Crime Branch officials manipulated the victim into sending updates and transferring funds; the call was then transferred to someone claiming to be an officer from the Andheri Crime Branch, who alleged that the complainant was involved in a large hawala racket
Representation pic
A 78-year-old retired manager of a multinational bank has become the latest victim of a digital arrest scam, losing Rs 2.3 lakh to cyber fraudsters. The complainant, a Daulat Nagar Borivli East resident, received a call last month from an individual posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer. The call was then transferred to someone claiming to be an officer from the Andheri Crime Branch, who alleged that the complainant was involved in a large hawala racket.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The caller claimed that the Andheri Crime Branch was investigating the case and, as part of the investigation, they needed to place me under house arrest,” the complainant stated. When he asked what house arrest meant, he was informed that he could not leave his home and was required to send updates every two minutes about the whereabouts of everyone in the household. The fraudsters then instructed the complainant to transfer the money from his bank account to a specified account under the pretext of verifying his bank details. The complainant transferred Rs 2.3 lakh via RTGS to the account. They assured the money would be returned within two hours.
However, when the money wasn’t returned, the complainant grew suspicious. He tried calling the accused, but they did not answer his calls. Realising he had been cheated, he filed a complaint at Kasturba Marg Police. “Based on the complaint, we have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further investigation is underway,” said an officer from Kasturba Marg police station.
