scam alert
Digital arrest scams have been on the rise in the past few months. Every now and then, we hear about digital arrest victims losing their entire life savings. Recently, a 40-year-old Karnataka woman has lost a whopping Rs 3.16 crore in a sophisticated digital arrest scam. As reported by PTI, the fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers, manipulated her into transferring the funds under the false claim of a “digital arrest,” police said.
According to the complaint filed at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime (CEN) police station, on June 6, the victim received a phone call from scammers claiming to be from the National Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The caller alleged that a SIM card registered in her husband’s name was being used for illegal activities.
Over the next few days, the woman was made to talk to different callers, including one impersonating a public prosecutor. They pressured her to share personal and financial details, saying that the funds would be returned after a verification process.
Believing she was cooperating with law enforcement, the woman made multiple transfers totalling Rs 3.16 crore to several bank accounts provided by the scammers between June 10 and June 27.
It wasn’t until she discussed it with her children and realised that she had fallen victim to a scam. She then approached the authorities and filed a formal complaint. A case has been registered, and an investigation is being conducted. Officials suspect that a well-organized network of cybercriminals is behind the scam, involving multiple impersonators.
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Authorities also noted a rise in similar cases, including a recent incident in Hyderabad, and have urged the public to be cautious. People are advised never to share personal or banking details over unsolicited calls and to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a government or law enforcement official.
The police also urged people to report such incidents promptly to improve the chances of tracking and recovering stolen funds.