NewKerala.com

Key Points

A retired Madhya Pradesh official was tricked into transferring Rs 7.10 lakh by cybercriminals impersonating Crime Branch officers. The scammers falsely accused him of Hawala transactions linked to his Aadhaar ID. Police confirmed the fraud after the victim waited days for his money to be returned. This follows a similar Rs 2.5 crore digital arrest scam in Gwalior earlier this year.

Key Points: Gwalior Retiree Loses Rs 7.10 Lakh in Digital Arrest Cyber Scam

  • Fraudsters posed as Crime Branch officers via WhatsApp call
  • Victim was falsely accused of Hawala transactions
  • Scammers accessed bank details under pretext of inquiry
  • Similar Rs 2.5 crore scam reported in Gwalior earlier
2 min read

Digital arrest: Cybercriminals dupe Gwalior resident of Rs 7.10 lakh

A retired MP official was duped by cybercriminals posing as Crime Branch officers in a digital arrest scam, losing Rs 7.10 lakh.

"Cybercriminals told the victim that a mobile SIM card issued on his Aadhaar ID was used in Hawala money of more than Rs 700 crore. – Gwalior Police"

Bhopal, Aug 6

A retired Madhya Pradesh government official in Gwalior became the latest victim of cybercrime as he lost more than Rs 7 lakh after being kept in digital arrest for almost 22 hours, the police said on Wednesday.

The fraudsters, impersonating Crime Branch officials, contacted Avneesh Chandra, a retired employee of Madhya Pradesh's Dairy Department, through a WhatsApp call, saying that his mobile SIM card would be deactivated soon as multiple SIM cards were procured against a single Aadhaar ID.

"Cybercriminals told the victim that a mobile SIM card issued on his Aadhaar ID was used in Hawala money of more than Rs 700 crore into a Delhi-based bank, therefore, Crime Branch is investigating the matter, and his number is under scanner," the Gwalior Police said on Wednesday.

According to police, the caller impersonating a senior Crime Branch officer from Delhi, told the victim that money transacted in multiple bank accounts is lacking mandatory details, including income tax verification, etc.

"During the digital arrest, criminals accessed his bank details in the name of inquiry and duped him of Rs 7.10 lakh," the police said.

In a complaint filed at police station in Gwalior recently, the victim said that he was asked to transfer Rs 7.10 lakh into a bank account of a person living in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh.

The fraudsters told the victim that money would be sent to RBI for an undergoing inquiry into the matter and then it would be returned to his bank account, if no irregularities are detected.

After waiting for two-three days to get his money back, Avneesh Chandra filed a complaint at Gwalior police station a few days ago.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Krishna Lalchandani said that a case has been registered and an inquiry would be initiated soon.

Earlier in April this year, Swami Supradiptananda, secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Gwalior, had lost Rs 2.5 crore after he was kept under digital arrest for 26 days.

Over a period of 26 days, he was virtually held hostage through video calls and coerced into transferring the money to multiple bank accounts across the country.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
Why are people still falling for these scams? No government official will ever ask for money transfers over phone. We need better digital literacy programs, especially for senior citizens.
A
Aditya G
The police response is too slow in these cases. By the time FIR is registered, money is already transferred to multiple accounts and withdrawn. Need special cyber crime cells with faster response times.
S
Shweta Y
My heart goes out to the victim. Rs 7 lakh is a huge amount for a retired person. Banks should implement stronger verification for large transfers, especially when done under pressure.
K
Karan T
The fact that even educated people are falling prey to these scams shows how convincing these fraudsters have become. Maybe we need mandatory waiting periods for large transfers to new accounts?
N
Nisha Z
This digital arrest concept is terrifying! 😰 We need stricter laws against cybercrime with harsher punishments. These criminals are destroying people's life savings without any fear.
V
Vikram M
While the fraudsters are definitely to blame, we also need to question how SIM cards are being issued against Aadhaar without proper verification. The system has loopholes that need fixing.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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