Lucknow man duped of Rs 38 lakh in digital arrest scam: Here’s what happened

A retired engineer in Lucknow recently fell victim to a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam. With fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officials, sending fabricated documents via messaging apps, scammers manipulated victims into transferring large sums. The perpetrator impersonated senior government officials, claiming the victim’s biometric and financial identity were compromised.

According to reports, 65-year-old retired engineer Ashwini Kumar Gupta, from Jankipuram Garden in Lucknow, was contacted on 30 September by fraudsters posing as a government officer. The caller alleged Gupta’s Aadhaar details had been leaked and that he was implicated in a money-laundering case. They further claimed the matter had been forwarded to investigative units in Mumbai and Chennai. 

The fraudsters followed up with WhatsApp-shared official-looking documents purportedly from government departments, demanding the victim move his funds into a “bank verification account” to clear his name. On 14 October, Gupta transferred Rs 24.7 lakh. Two days later, he took a pension loan of Rs 13.72 lakh and sent that money via RTGS to the specified fraud accounts. Subsequently, more demands were made in order to procure an NOC and “resolve” the case. Fearing further coercion, Gupta approached the Cyber Crime Police Station and found out he had been scammed.  

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Despite the awareness campaigns, this incident highlights how deeply manipulative such scams are. Users should always look for red flags like: 

1. Never respond to unsolicited calls claiming to be from law enforcement or government agencies demanding money or account transfers.
2. Verify claims by hanging up and independently contacting official agencies (using known numbers).
3. Avoid transferring money to “verification” or “audit” accounts based on the direction of strangers.
4. Treat documents received on messaging apps with caution — fraudsters often use fake letterhead, seals or official terminology.
5. Keep banks and pensions under strict monitoring, enable alerts, and report suspicious activity without delay.