Digital Arrest Scam
A private doctor from Mulagund in Karnataka’s Gadag district was recently duped in a cyber fraud scam that left him psychologically trapped for 22 hours. The incident took place on June 11. Dr. S.C. Chavadi was targeted by fraudsters posing as officials from a national investigative agency. It appears to be a calculated attempt to extort money from the doctor, as they accused him of being involved in a money laundering case.
Dr Chavadi received a video call at 3:07 PM from individuals claiming to represent the “National Investigation Authority of India.” The callers falsely accused him of being linked to a money laundering case involving Canara Bank and stated that a criminal case had been filed against him at the Kalaba Police Station in Mumbai.
Despite having no connection to the bank, the fraudsters persuaded Dr Chavadi to believe that an arrest warrant had already been issued against him. The scammers even showed Dr. Chavadi a photograph and the name of a local Mulagund police officer. As the fake interrogation goes on, he asks the doctor to share his financial and property documents with him. In a chilling move, they also took a photo of his Aadhaar card.
Further, one scammer, pretending to be an officer named ‘Inspector Vijaykumar,’ claimed that the interrogation was happening due to Dr Chavadi’s age and assured him that a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) would continue the questioning.
The following day, another scammer posing as ‘DCP Dayanayak’ continued the charade, saying that the case would be taken to the Supreme Court, where Dr Chavadi could defend himself. They even fabricated a story about Naresh Goyal and his gang tracking Dr Chavadi and warned him not to share any details with his family.
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However, in a twisted turn of events, the rumours of Dr Chavadi’s “digital arrest” spread locally, making the Mulagund Police rush to his home. As they tried to break the door, Dr. Chavadi himself opened the door, letting the authority walk in. As CPI Sangamesh Shivayogi started speaking on the video call, the fraudsters immediately disconnected.
A case has been filed with the Gadag Cyber Crime Station, and the investigation is currently underway. CPI Sangamesh Shivayogi urged citizens to beware of such scams, advising them never to share personal information or OTPs with unknown callers and to report to the local authority immediately.