It all started when the victim received a call from someone pretending to be a telecom department officer.
The caller told him that a bank account had been opened using his Aadhaar details, and that it was being used for money laundering.
The caller then falsely claimed that an FIR was registered against him at Kurla police station in Mumbai .
In a shocking case, an 80-year-old retired government official lost a whopping Rs 4.2 crore to scammers who trapped him in a fake digital arrest. The victim was targeted using fear tactics and fake legal threats. Keep reading to know how the scam unfolded and how to avoid falling for such scams.
The incident began on April 14 when the man received a call from someone pretending to be a telecom department officer. The caller told him that a bank account had been opened using his Aadhaar details, and that it was being used for money laundering.
The caller then falsely claimed that an FIR was registered against him at Kurla police station in Mumbai for threatening a shopkeeper. To make things scarier, the call was transferred to another person who said that a Supreme Court arrest warrant had been issued against him, reports TOI.
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The fraudsters took things further by arranging a video call that looked like a real court hearing. During the call, a person acting as a judge said the man would be sent to custody for seven days. The scammers also told him he was now under digital arrest and warned that he could not leave his house or speak to anyone without permission.
Over the next few days, the scammers kept calling him and pretending to be officials from various investigation agencies. They convinced him that his bank accounts were linked to criminal activities and told him he needed to transfer his money for verification. Believing the story, the elderly man ended up transferring Rs 4.2 crore to multiple bank accounts shared by the scammers via WhatsApp.
The fraud came to light only after the man informed his son, who found out that his father had been scammed.
Also read: Physio loses Rs 1.9 lakh after falling for fake gaming website: Here’s what happened
How to avoid falling for such scams
- Don’t share your bank details or Aadhaar number with unknown callers.
- Real police or court officials will never ask you to send money to any account.
- If you get a suspicious call, talk to a family member right away and inform the police.
- There’s no such thing as a “digital arrest,” it’s completely fake.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
