Navi Mumbai, Jan 21: Kamothe police have registered a case of cheating and offences under the IT Act after an elderly couple from Kamothe was allegedly kept under a ‘digital arrest’ on video calls for
ten days and duped of Rs 14 lakh by a cyber gang posing as police and central agencies.
How the fraud began
The victim, a 65-year-old man identified as Brijlal, resides with his family in Sector-36, Kamothe. On November 26, cyber criminals contacted him claiming that a SIM card issued in his name was used for illegal activities and warned that his mobile number would be disconnected.
He was instructed to report to Colaba Police Station within two hours, and when he expressed his inability to do so, the call was allegedly transferred to officials posing as personnel from Colaba Police Station and later the Delhi NCCS department.
Threats and intimidation
The fraudsters, who introduced themselves as Sandeep Jadhav, Vikram Rathod and Rajesh Mishra, posed as police and Enforcement Directorate officials.
Through WhatsApp video calls displaying the Maharashtra Police logo, they claimed Brijlal’s Aadhaar card had been misused to open bank accounts involved in Rs 490 crore money laundering and threatened him with arrest, warning him not to disconnect the call or inform anyone about the matter.
Money siphoned off
The cyber gang allegedly forced the couple to remain on video calls even while eating and sleeping. Under the pretext of investigation, they compelled the victims to prematurely break their fixed deposits.
Brijlal transferred Rs 9 lakh from his FD on November 29, followed by Rs 5 lakh from his wife’s FD on December 1, to bank accounts provided by the accused. To gain their trust, the fraudsters also sent a fake RBI letter, which was later deleted.
Fraud uncovered
After keeping the couple under constant video surveillance between November 26 and December 5, the accused informed Brijlal that the inquiry was complete and promised a refund after he obtained an NOC from the nearest police station.
When he approached Kamothe Police Station, police informed him that he had been cheated. By then, all contact numbers used by the fraudsters had been switched off.
Police warning
“Such ‘digital arrest’ scams are being used to mentally pressure victims into transferring money. Police or enforcement agencies never conduct investigations or demand payments through video calls,” a Kamothe police officer said, urging citizens to immediately report such calls to the police or the cyber helpline.
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Brijlal lodged a complaint on the cyber crime portal on January 4 and subsequently filed a formal complaint at Kamothe Police Station on January 19. Further investigation to trace the accused is underway by Kamothe police.
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