Man duped by scammers claiming to be govt officials

New Delhi: In a case of "digital arrest", a man was duped by scammers posing as officials from a govt department. They threatened to disconnect his phone number due to its alleged involvement in illegal activities. The call was then transferred to another group of scammers claiming to be from Mumbai Police. They defrauded him of nearly Rs 6 lakh and also applied for a loan using his personal details.
In digital arrests, fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials to deceive people into giving away money.
According to the complaint, the victim received a call from someone claiming to be from the department of telecommunications, informing him that his mobile number was scheduled for deactivation. The call was then transferred to a number identified as "Mumbai crime department".
Using a well-rehearsed script, the scammers convinced the victim that his bank account was linked to illegal activities. To gain his trust, they gathered his personal information, including bank account details and other sensitive data. Under the guise of investigating alleged illegal activities, the scammers applied for a loan in the victim's name.
The funds from the fraudulently obtained loan were then transferred to three different bank accounts. It wasn't until the victim received notifications about these unauthorised transactions that he realised he had been scammed.
The victim disabled his internet banking and filed a complaint. Despite his quick action, the scammers had already siphoned off Rs 5.97 lakh from his account.
The cyber police station in west Delhi is investigating the case, working to track down the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds.
In Sept, a businessman was threatened with "digital arrest" by fraudsters posing as Narcotics Bureau officers, extorting Rs 18 lakh from him. In May, a 72-year-old woman from CR Park was defrauded of Rs 83 lakh in a similar scam. She had received a call from fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police officers, who falsely claimed that her mobile number was involved in distributing pornographic content. They placed her under "digital arrest" for over 12 hours.