Cases of cyber fraud involving "digital arrests" continue to surface in the city, with the latest incident reported in Goregaon West. Cyber criminals impersonated officials from the Delhi Crime Branch and duped a 61-year-old man of ₹71 lakh. The victim, who had recently retired from a company named, was digitally detained for eight hours before being threatened with a money laundering case.
The fraudsters convinced him to share his bank account details, promising to resolve the case, and subsequently transferred the amount from his two accounts. The victim has filed a complaint with the North Cyber Police station of the Mumbai Police, which is now investigating the matter.
According to senior officials from the North Cyber Police, the incident occurred on September 24, 2024. The victim received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a Customs officer. The caller alleged that an international parcel addressed to the victim had been seized, containing 16 passports, 58 ATM cards, and 180 grams of MDMA drugs.
The caller then connected the victim via video call to a man posing as a senior officer from the Delhi Crime Branch, identified as "Sunil Kumar." The fraudster sent the victim a fake police ID card and an arrest warrant, stating that he was under "digital arrest."
The victim was instructed to keep the video call active and not contact anyone else during the "arrest." He was further coerced into providing his bank account details under the pretext of resolving the case.
Using the shared details, the fraudsters transferred ₹71.24 lakh from the victim's two bank accounts. They assured him that the amount would be returned after the investigation. However, when the money was not refunded, the victim realized he had been duped and approached the police.
The North Cyber Police has registered a case against two unidentified individuals and is conducting a detailed investigation. Officials have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such scams and avoid sharing sensitive information with unknown callers.
This incident highlights the growing menace of cyber fraud and the need for stringent measures to prevent such crimes.