Retired govt official loses Rs 4.2 crore to digital arrest scam
Thane: An 80-year-old retired official from the
Maharashtra Water Conservation Department
recently fell prey to a sophisticated
digital arrest scam
, losing Rs 4.2 crore. The fraud involved
fake legal threats
, impersonation of officials, and even a simulated
Supreme Court hearing
to coerce the elderly victim into transferring his life's savings.According to a complaint filed at the Kapurbawdi police station, the scam began on April 14 when the victim received a call from an unknown person posing as an officer from the telecom department.
The caller claimed that a bank account was opened using the victim's Aadhaar details under the name Naresh Goyal and was being used for money laundering. The caller further alleged that an FIR was lodged against the victim at Kurla police station in Mumbai for threatening a shopkeeper, said a police officer.To escalate the fear, the call was transferred to another impersonator who claimed that a Supreme Court arrest warrant was issued against the victim and warned that he would now be placed under video surveillance until the court hearing. The scammers even arranged a fake video call simulating a court proceeding, during which a person pretending to be a judge pronounced a seven-day remand for the victim, the police said.The fraudsters used the non-existent concept of "digital arrest" to intimidate the elderly man, claiming he was under constant surveillance and could not leave his residence without permission. This completely fabricated legal term was designed to isolate the victim and prevent him from seeking advice from family members or authorities.Over the following days, the victim received further calls pressuring him to transfer funds from his personal bank accounts under the pretext that the money was linked to suspicious activity. The scammers, claiming to represent investigative agencies, convinced him that the money had to be moved to govt-monitored accounts for verification purposes. They sent multiple bank account numbers via WhatsApp for these transfers, said the police.Believing the threats were genuine, the retired official transferred substantial sums from his private bank accounts to the specified accounts. The deception was only discovered when the victim eventually informed his son about these transactions, who immediately investigated and confirmed that his father was made the target of an elaborate scam. A police officer said legitimate law enforcement agencies never demand money transfers during investigations and that "digital arrest" is not a real legal procedure. Citizens are advised to report suspicious communications immediately.
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