Hyderabad: An 81-year-old man was cheated of Rs 7.12 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam after cyber fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police officials falsely accused him of involvement in a drug trafficking racket, police said on Sunday.
According to officials, the fraud began on October 27 last year when the victim received a call from persons claiming to be from a courier company. The callers alleged that a parcel sent in his name from Mumbai to Thailand had been intercepted and that it contained MDMA narcotic drugs, passports, and debit and credit cards.
The callers further claimed that the matter had been forwarded to the Mumbai Police. Soon after, another individual contacted the elderly man, impersonating a senior Mumbai Police officer. He was told that he was part of a major network involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorist activities, police said.
Under the pretext of verifying his bank accounts and investments, the fraudsters instructed him to transfer money to several bank accounts provided by them. He was assured that the amount would be returned once he was proven innocent and was also warned not to share details of the case with anyone.
Fearing arrest and legal consequences, the victim transferred Rs 7.12 crore over a period of nearly two months. The fraudsters later demanded an additional Rs 1.2 crore, which raised his suspicion. Realising that he had been cheated, the man approached the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau on December 30.
Police registered a case based on his complaint and said the victim had earlier been engaged in business activities. Investigations are underway to trace the accused and recover the defrauded amount.
Officials explained that a “digital arrest” scam involves imposters posing as police or investigating agency officials who intimidate victims through video or phone calls, isolate them, and extort large sums of money under false legal threats.
