A retired 78-year-old banking official from Noida fell victim to a digital arrest scam and lost over Rs 3.15 crore in 15 days. The cyber fraud began on February 25 when the victim received a video call from someone claiming to be a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official. He accused the victim of participating in illegal activities like hawala transactions in the Naresh Goyal money laundering case.
The fraudsters claimed that a criminal case had been filed in the victim’s name with Mumbai’s Colaba police station. The victim stated that he is a senior citizen who cannot travel; the fraudsters stated that the case could be handled online, arranging for a fraudulent video appearance before the Chief Justice of India.
Starting the next day, two men posing as officers—an IPS officer named Vijay Khanna and a CBI officer named Rahul Gupta—contacted the victim and informed him that his bank accounts and fixed deposits had been frozen.
Also read: Pune firm accountant falls for Whale Phishing scam, transfers Rs 1.9 cr to fraudster’s account
Furthermore, the fraudsters ordered him to transfer all of his money to a secret supervision account for verification, promising that it would be returned once the process was completed. The fraudsters also warned the victim not to disclose any information to anyone, citing national security concerns.
To avoid arrest, the victim agreed and transferred the money while under digital arrest for nearly two weeks, monitored via video calls. On March 3, the fraudsters sent a forged Supreme Court document claiming that his money was legitimate and would be returned in a week.
When no refund was processed, the victim contacted the police. The case has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act. The authorities are searching for the scammers by following the money trail.
