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NDTV
7 days ago
- NDTV
Key Accused In Hyderabad's High-Profile "Digital Arrest" Fraud Case Arrested
Hyderabad: A key accused in a high-profile "digital arrest" fraud case was arrested by the Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad. Aludasu Sudhaker was detained at Mumbai International Airport by immigration authorities based on a Look Out Circular issued by the Hyderabad police. The 43-year-old is alleged to have been part of an elaborate impersonation scam that targeted a 48-year-old Hyderabad woman. The fraudsters, including Sudhaker and four others previously arrested, posed as officials from government agencies such as the CBI and TRAI. They meticulously constructed a false narrative, implicating the victim in a fictitious money laundering case. The scam began on November 12, 2024, when the victim received an automated call threatening suspension of her Airtel service. Upon pressing "9," she was connected to a fake call centre. Over a harrowing two to three-hour period, multiple impersonators, including a woman officer, a fake Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and a man posing as "CBI officer Rajesh Mishra," subjected her to intense pressure. They accused her of links to money laundering via fabricated FIRs and coerced her into transferring substantial amounts of money from her fixed deposits, gold loans, and personal loans via RTGS. The accused also extracted her Aadhaar details and other sensitive personal information, maintaining continuous control through hourly video calls and severe threats of job loss and imprisonment. The victim realised she had been defrauded only later and promptly filed a complaint, leading to the registration of Cr. No. 2808/2025 under the IT Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Cyber Crime Unit has now arrested a total of five individuals in connection with the case, all of whom are alleged to be "account suppliers" - individuals who provide their bank accounts to facilitate the fraudulent transactions. A debit card linked to an absconding accused, Ashok Kumar Javvaji, who is believed to be in Dubai, has also been seized, along with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Police officials have once again cautioned the public against falling prey to such sophisticated impersonation scams. They reiterated that no legitimate government agency or law enforcement body will ever demand money over the phone. Citizens are strongly advised to verify any such claims through official channels only and to be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited calls or messages demanding personal or financial information.
The Diplomat
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Thai Police Raid More Properties Linked to Cambodian Tycoon
Thai police have conducted further raids on properties linked to the Cambodian tycoon Kok An, as the fallout from the two nations' border dispute continues. According to a report in the Bangkok Post, Cyber Crime Police yesterday raided seven locations in Bangkok and Sa Kaeo province, which borders Cambodia, in their search for two daughters and a son of Kok An, whom Thai authorities accuse of involvement of online scam operations along the two nations' border. The raids came a day after the issuing of six arrest warrants, including for three of Kok An's children: two daughters who police identified as Juree Khlongkijjakol and Phu Chelin and a son named Kittisak. The Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into irregularities in the Thai national ID cards held by Kok An's children, and Police General Thatchai Pitaneelabutr said yesterday that 'any Thai citizens found collaborating would face maximum penalties as traitors.' Yesterday's raids came a week after Thai police issued an arrest warrant for Kok An, 71, on charges of money laundering and involvement in a transnational criminal organization. The Thai authorities accuse the tycoon of involvement in online scamming centers operating in buildings he owns in the Cambodian border town of Poipet, including casinos and 18- and 25-story buildings. On July 8, police searched 19 houses in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Chonburi, 'looking for evidence and to stop possible transfers of suspect assets,' the Bangkok Post reported. Police say that they seized assets valued at over 1.1 billion baht ($33.8 million) in the raids. Noting that Kok An had left Thailand, police said that they would ask Interpol to issue a Red Notice in an effort to expedite his capture. Kok An is a prominent tycoon and senator for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) who has strong ties to the border town of Poipet, which has long been a hotbed of casinos and, in recent years, online scamming operations. The fact that the Thai authorities have been given free rein to investigate one of Cambodia's wealthiest and most politically connected figures is a clear result of how far relations have deteriorated in recent weeks. The downturn in relations stems from a border dispute, which has intensified since a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops along an undemarcated stretch of the border on May 28. Relations took a further dive in mid-June, when Cambodia leaked a recording of a phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen. The call was highly embarrassing to Paetongtarn. In the recording, the 38-year-old leader, the daughter of influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, appeared to kowtow to Hun Sen, whom she referred to as 'uncle.' Paetongtarn also criticized a prominent Thai military commander for inciting anti-government sentiment on the border issue and for being 'completely aligned' with her political opponents. The leak, which seems to have been orchestrated by Hun Sen, has destroyed the previously warm relationship between the Shinawatras and the Hun family and is likely to bring Paetongtarn's prime ministership to a premature end. In the fallout from the call, Paetongtarn announced a range of border restrictions intended to 'combat cyber scams' inside Cambodia, particularly in Poipet, including tighter restrictions on border crossings. Paetongtarn said Thailand would also consider blocking exports of goods that could facilitate scam operations in Cambodia and will coordinate with other countries and international agencies to clamp down on cybercrime. This has since spiraled out into rare mutual accusations of involvement in criminal activity. In a televised interview last week, Thaksin suggested that Hun Sen's decision to leak the phone call may have been a reaction to Thailand's crackdown on Cambodia-based scam operations, with the implication that Hun Sen was benefiting from them. Exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy has said much the same thing, alleging that Thailand's crackdown is a 'growing threat to the illicit revenue streams that sustain [Hun Sen's] power – namely, criminal syndicates controlled by the Chinese mafia and operating along Cambodia's borders.' Hun Sen returned fire this week. 'I urge Thai politicians to stop blaming Cambodia without evidence, while turning a blind eye to their own country, which has become a haven for scam syndicates, drug traffickers, and money-laundering networks,' Hun Sen said in a post on his Facebook page. Despite Hun Sen's claim, there is considerable evidence that Cambodia has been and remains a hub of online scamming operations, including recent reports by Amnesty International and the Humanity Research Consultancy (HRC), in addition to a growing corpus of media reporting. Indeed, Kok An is just one of a list of Cambodian tycoons and officials that these reports allege are involved, indirectly or otherwise, in online fraud operations. Ly Yong Phat, another tycoon and CPP senator with a strong presence on the Thai border, has been sanctioned by the U.S. government for his involvement in online scamming operations. The Cambodian government has consistently denied any involvement in scamming operations, which it said it is taking steps to eradicate the operations. Today, Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a directive ordering every province to investigate and eliminate online fraud operations within its respective boundaries. The fact that Thailand's investigation into Kok An and the provenance of his considerable riches only followed a sharp deterioration in relations with Phnom Penh suggests that the Thai crackdown will only extend so far. Partly this is to do with the transnational nature of corruption in mainland Southeast Asia. Given his prominence in Poipet, and the extent of his Thai assets, Kok An clearly has close and influential friends inside Thailand. As Jacob Sims, the author of the recent HRC report, wrote in these pages yesterday, 'Thailand's own elites are enmeshed with Cambodia's, so this knife of accountability will likely only cut so deep.' It is also the case that such accusations may soon evolve into a negative-sum game. It is rare for the region's leaders to accuse each other of corruption, if only because so few of them can claim credibly to be free from such associations. The two sides may well soon come to realize that both stand to lose if they continue to exchange such accusations so publicly. It would therefore be no surprise if this ends up marking the low point of the current crisis.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Indian Express
‘Digital arrest' fraud: Threatened with arrest under National Security Act, retired judge duped of Rs 1 cr
A retired judge from Pune became the victim of a digital arrest scam in which he lost over Rs 1 crore to a cyber-criminal who posed as an IPS officer and threatened to arrest him under the National Security Act. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Cyber Crime Police station of Pune City by the retired judge who is in his early 80s. In the third week of March this year, the complainant received a call from a woman who identified herself as 'IPS officer Navjot Simi', which is the name of the serving IPS officer of the Bihar cadre. The fraud officer told the complainant that his involvement in a Rs 2 crore money laundering case had come to light and that its inquiry had been handed over to her. The complainant categorically denied his involvement in any such crime or transactions. On a video call, the fraudster showed him what she claimed was a 'digital arrest warrant' and that it had the Aadhar details of the complainant. The fraudster then started questioning the complainant about his finances and bank deposits. After the complainant shared the details, the woman told him to transfer those funds to 'government accounts' for a 'verification process'. The complainant was threatened not to disclose the charges against him to anyone. He was told that failing to comply with 'the investigation' and disclosing his details to anyone else would lead to his prosecution under the National Security Act. Between the third week of March and the first week of May, the caller repeatedly pressured the complainant into making 10 transactions totalling Rs 1.05 crore to fraudulent mule accounts, claiming those accounts were for the government's verification process. Throughout his entire communication with the woman, he was told the funds would be returned after the verification process. After some time, the complainant was told the charges against him had been cleared but was asked to pay Rs 17 lakh for a 'clearance certificate'. It was at this point that the complainant realised he had been cheated and approached the police. After a preliminary inquiry, an FIR was registered in the case at Cyber crime police station. Senior Inspector Swapnali Shinde was probing the case. Officials have expressed concern that despite extensive awareness campaigns and sensitisation efforts by the government and law enforcement agencies, incidents of digital arrest, online extortion and blackmail continue to be reported. In an advisory issued in May last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs noted a significant rise in complaints related to intimidation, blackmail, extortion, and so-called 'digital arrests'. These scams are typically carried out by cyber criminals impersonating officials from law enforcement agencies such as the police, CBI, Narcotics Department, RBI, and Enforcement Directorate and judges. Such frauds have been serious enough to be flagged at the highest levels, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address last year. As previously reported by Express, these scams are orchestrated by complex, multilayered syndicates operating across borders. Victims' money is often funneled into mule accounts and then routed to international cybercrime networks through cryptocurrency channels.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Time of India
Two cybercons dupe bizman of 47 lakh, arrested
Lucknow: The Cyber Crime Police team from Lucknow arrested two fraudsters, including a govt teacher from Odisha's Keonjhar district, for duping a man of Rs 47 lakh by impersonating a CBI officer and subjecting him to a fake digital house arrest. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Those arrested were identified as Kumar Sahu (33), a govt teacher of class 12, and Ranjit Kumar Behera (27). The case came to light on June 23, when businessman Ravindra Verma filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow. He reported receiving a call from an unknown person claiming to be a CBI officer. The caller alleged that Verma's Aadhaar and mobile number were being used for illegal activities and that an FIR was registered against him at Andheri East Police Station in Mumbai. The call was transferred to a fake police officer on WhatsApp video, who appeared in uniform and accused Verma of involvement in money laundering and narcotics-related crimes. The victim was coerced into isolating himself in a locked room, appearing on video continuously, and was told to transfer 99% of his assets to a "Supreme Court account" to avoid arrest. Believing he was under legal duress, Verma complied and ended up transferring Rs 47 lakh. Under the supervision of Lucknow Commissionerate's top officials and led by Inspector Brijesh Kumar Yadav, a joint team of the Cyber Crime Police and Cyber Cell tracked the suspects using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs. On July 4, they arrested the two accused from Keonjhar, Odisha, and brought them to Lucknow for interrogation. Additional DCP, Crime, Vasanth Kumar, said that the fraudsters would randomly target individuals, falsely claim their IDs were linked to serious offences like drug trafficking or terrorism, and pose as officials from the CBI, ED, or police. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Through WhatsApp or Skype video calls they would frighten victims into compliance," he said. The duo converted the defrauded money into cryptocurrency (USDT) to avoid detection. They used corporate credit cards obtained under fake identities and registered their own mobile numbers to operate bank accounts and payment gateways, the officer added. During questioning the arrested accused revealed that Rs 27 lakh from Verma was routed through an ICICI Bank corporate credit card to a few accounts controlled by Jayant Sahu.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Time of India
Lawyer pays Rs 3 crore during 9-day ‘digital arrest'
Noida: A 72-year-old woman was kept under "digital arrest" for nine days and robbed of more than Rs 3 crore by fraudsters who posed as officials of an investigation agency. The victim, a lawyer, in an FIR filed with the Cyber Crime Police, stated that the scammers told her that her Aadhaar card and bank account were used in illegal smuggling of weapons, blackmailing, and gambling. The fraudsters told the woman that she might have to go to jail if appropriate action is not taken to stop the illegal activity being done in her name. However, when the woman denied her involvement in any of these activities, the scammers told her that she could ask for an NOC by dialing a number given by them. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida In her complaint, the woman stated that she received the first call on her landline on June 10, and the callers continued calling her at different times until June 16, when she was placed under "digital arrest" and forced to transfer money, withdrawing from her FDs. Until June 24, the scammers continued to threaten the victim and warned her to not share any details of the ongoing "investigation" with her family members, saying if she did not obey the orders it could land her in more serious trouble, the lawyer told police. During this period, the fake officers convinced her to transfer Rs 3.29 crore to different accounts, promising that the money would be returned to her original bank account once the probe was over. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo The scam came to light after the woman confided in her son, who helped her realise that she had been cheated, and the family approached the police. The victim named two men, Shiva Prasad Pradeep Sawant and Praveen Sood, in her complaint with the cyber crime police. Based on the statements, a case was registered under sections 308(2) (extortion), 318(4) (cheating), and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the BNS and section 66D of the IT Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway, said a police officer.
