Three college students in Hyderabad have been arrested for helping scammers cheat people through a fake “digital arrest” scam. The students, all in their early twenties, got involved in the scam after losing money on online betting apps. To compensate for their losses, they agreed to allow scammers to use their bank accounts to carry out the fraud in exchange for a commission.
The scam came into light when a 57-year-old government employee from Dhoolpet was tricked into sending Rs 6.5 lakh. He received a phone call from a scammer posing as a police officer. He accused him of being involved in a Rs 2 crore money laundering case. The scammers even sent fake arrest warrants and legal documents on WhatsApp and even made video calls dressed as police officers.
Under pressure, the man shared his bank details and transferred the money to “prove his innocence.” He realised he had been tricked only when the communication suddenly stopped. “These frauds play on fear,” said an officer involved in the investigation. “They even make video calls wearing police uniforms to look convincing and intimidate victims into doing what they ask.”
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The students, K. Hemanth Reddy from Nalgonda, M. Yeswanth Reddy from Kambalapally, and M. Tharun from Karkhana, were contacted by scammers on WhatsApp, who offered them to use their bank accounts to collect money from victims. The students’ bank accounts were used to receive cash via RTGS and NEFT transfers, and they were paid a cut for each transaction.
Police have weaned the public to stay alert and not fall for such tactics. “No genuine police officer will ever ask for money or personal bank details over a call or WhatsApp,” the officer added.