Senior Citizen Duped Of Rs 16.5 Lakh After Scammers Stage ‘Digital Arrest’ In Fake Delhi Blast Probe

A 75-year-old retired BMC official was allegedly duped of Rs 16.50 lakh by cyber fraudsters who staged a “digital arrest” in a fake Delhi bomb blast probe, police said on Wednesday.

The victim, a resident of Andheri East, approached the West Region Cyber Police Station on Monday after realising he had been tricked, an official said.

Police said the fraud began on December 11 when the man received a call from individuals claiming to be officers of the Delhi Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). They warned him that his name had surfaced in a Delhi bomb blast case and that he needed to be interrogated secretly.

The caller instructed the man to download the Signal app, where he received a video call from one of the fraudsters posing as NIA officer Sadanand

Date. The impostor claimed that a bank account linked to the victim had allegedly received Rs 7 crore through money laundering and threatened him with arrest.

The scammers told the victim not to discuss the matter with anyone, citing national security concerns. They then asked him to transfer his funds to certain accounts so that the authorities could “verify” whether his deposits were from legal sources.

Believing the threats, the retired official deposited Rs 16.50 lakh, after which the fraudsters blocked his number, police said.

The victim subsequently approached the cyber police, who have registered a case against unidentified persons.

(With inputs from PTI)