Bengaluru businessman loses rs 14 lakh in digital arrest scam how to stay safe
A doctor based in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar has become the victim of one of the most shocking cyber frauds, losing Rs 19 crore over a span of three months in a ‘digital arrest’ scam. The scam started on March 15, when the doctor received a phone call from someone claiming that objectionable content had been detected on her mobile phone. The caller threatened to disconnect her phone connection and implicate her in a money laundering case if she did not cooperate. What followed was a series of coordinated and manipulative calls from individuals posing as officials, including a sub-inspector and a public prosecutor, to create fear and force her into submission.
Over time, the doctor, overwhelmed by psychological pressure and threats, was manipulated into transferring her life’s savings, 19 crore into 35 different bank accounts. The fraudsters went further, using her credentials to take a loan against her gold jewellery and transferring those funds as well. Under constant intimidation, the doctor was compelled to share her movements over video calls, reporting her location whenever she stepped outside.
Also read: Google Pixel 10 series price leaks ahead of August launch: Here’s how much you might have to pay
When the call suddenly stopped, she realised something was wrong and informed her relatives, but by then, the damage had already been done. Acting on a complaint received on July 16, the cybercrime unit of Gujarat CID began probing the case. Investigators believe this may be one of the largest known cases of digital arrest fraud in India in terms of the money siphoned from a single victim.
Following an intense investigation, police tracked down and arrested one suspect in Surat, whose bank account had received Rs 1 crore of the stolen funds. He is currently under interrogation as authorities attempt to identify other members of the network behind the operation.
While a portion of the money has been traced, a large chunk remains unrecovered, having been dispersed across multiple accounts. The search for the masterminds is ongoing, with officials relying on digital evidence to map out the full extent of the scam.