71-Year-Old Hyderabad Man Loses Nearly Rs 2 Crore In Digital ‘Arrest’ Scam

In a shocking incident highlighting the rise of cybercrime targeting senior citizens, a 71-year-old man from Hyderabad lost nearly Rs 2 crore in a sophisticated digital arrest scam.

The victim from Hyderabad

had approached the police with a complaint stating that he was cheated by cyber fraudsters in the guise of a digital arrest.

According to a police official, the accused, who posed as officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), lured the victim into depositing Rs 1,92,50,070 into various bank accounts between November 7 and 14.

The fraudsters convinced the victim that a case had been filed against him for Aadhaar card misuse. They claimed that an account had been opened in his name at Canara Bank, Mumbai, using his Aadhaar details. To make their story appear credible, they conducted a video call showing the victim a photo of a Canara Bank ATM card and even sent him a fake FIR purportedly from the Delhi Crime Branch.

Later, they demanded money to close the case. Trusting their claims, the victim transferred the funds into the bank accounts provided by the scammers.

After realising that he had been cheated, the victim approached the police. A case was registered at Cybercrime Police Station under sections 66 C, 66 D of the Information Technology Act and the relevant section of the BNS.

Police have arrested Pandu Vinith Raj, G. Thirupathaiah, and Gouni Vishwanatham, all residents of Hyderabad. Investigations revealed that the trio is linked to five cases across the country, including two cases registered in Telangana.

The main accused identified as, Saneep alias Alex, was absconding. Vinith Raj was the account supplier, while Thirupathaiah and Vishwanatham were joint account holders.

Police have cautioned citizens against falling victim to digital arrest.

The police clarified that under Indian law, there is no such thing as a “Digital Arrest.” They emphasized that arrests are never carried out over video calls; a legitimate arrest requires officers to visit the individual in person with an official, verifiable warrant, according to an advisory.

People have been advised not to transfer any money in such situations. Genuine law enforcement or government agencies, including the Police, CBI, ED, or Customs, will never demand payment of fines, security deposits, or money transfers through phone calls, UPI, cryptocurrency, or gift cards to “avoid arrest” or “clear your name.”

Police have also advised citizens not to share OTP, passwords, bank account details, Aadhaar, or PAN information over the phone or video call, especially to an unknown person claiming to be an official.

(With inputs from IANS)