Bengal shopkeeper held for role in duping Paradip man of Rs 73 lakh
Bhubaneswar: State crime branch on Thursday arrested a 26-year-old shopkeeper from Howrah, West Bengal, for his alleged involvement in a cyber scam in which a senior citizen from Paradip was placed under digital arrest and duped of over Rs 73 lakh.
The accused, identified as Rohit Kumar Jaiswal, allegedly acted as a money mule in the elaborate scheme orchestrated by fraudsters operating from Cambodia. "The accused received a substantial amount in his bank account," DG (crime branch) Vinaytosh Mishra said.
Unknown scammers, impersonating CBI and Delhi Police officers, targeted the 62-year-old victim by claiming that a suspicious parcel containing ATM cards, passports, laptops and drugs had been intercepted by customs while being shipped from New Delhi to Shanghai, China.
The fraudsters told the victim that his phone number and Aadhaar details were linked to this shipment.
Crime branch officers said the fraudsters subjected the victim to a digital arrest. Under duress, the victim transferred Rs 73,62,000 to various accounts between May 9 and 14 last year before realizing it was a scam.
"Investigation revealed that Jaiswal's role was limited to receiving the fraudulently obtained money in his account.
The masterminds, operating from Cambodia, used a network of Indian accomplices to execute the fraud. Efforts are on to arrest others," another police officer said.
Cybersecurity experts warned that digital arrest scams are becoming increasingly common, with fraudsters exploiting people's fear of law enforcement agencies to execute their schemes. They advised citizens to verify the authenticity of such calls and never transfer money under pressure.
"We normally see that the police are arresting only the money receivers (mule account holders) whereas the real culprits continue to remain elusive. Unless the masterminds are caught, the scammers will continue to look for new targets," Binayak Sahoo, a cyber safety expert, said.
Police officers said the arrest of cybercriminals, particularly ringleaders, faces considerable obstacles due to their technical expertise, global operations and challenges in evidence collection. "These barriers include technological complexities and identity concealment as cybercriminals use sophisticated methods to conceal their identities and activities. They employ encryption, proxy servers and various tools to conceal their digital footprints.
Besides, we cannot travel abroad for investigation and arrests," a cyber cop said.
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