A 90-year-old man lost 1.15 crores (approx. $0.14 million USD) worth of life savings to digital arrest scammers who were arrested!
The entire world came crashing down for a Gujarat-based, 90-year-old man when a group of scammers got in touch with him under the pretext of digital arrest. They wiped away 1.15 crores worth of life savings while posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, Mumbai police, and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers. However, due to the awareness of the relatives and the agility and expertise of authorities, five threat actors got arrested red-handed as they withdrew a part of the scammed money.
The crime branch in Surat believes that the mastermind- Parth Gopani, is suspected to be in Cambodia. Surat police have released a sketch of Gopani.
How did the “digital arrest” unfold in Surat?
It all started on 12th October, when the victim, a 90-year-old stock market trader, got a call from a scammer who posed as a DHL courier person named Rahul Kumar. The courier guy claimed that a parcel containing MD drugs worth 400 grams, which was to be shipped from India to China, had been seized by police. Another man posed as Mumbai Police Officer Rajesh Pradhan and threatened the victim either to share the source of the narcotics or face severe consequences. The next morning, another fraudster got on a video call with the victim while claiming to be a CBI officer. He further said that the victim’s bank account was used to deposit money from the infamous Jet Airways Scam.
Further, they forced the victim to transfer INR 75 lakhs (88,500 USD) and INR 35 lakhs (41,300 USD) to two different accounts, which they claimed to be of the Supreme Court of India and the ED. They demanded INR 40 lakhs (47,200 USD) more to be paid to the Chief Justice of India.
However, things took a quick turn when the victim ran out of money. So frantically, he started reaching out to his relatives and close family members. The victim’s son realized that his father had been scammed, and he immediately reported the incident to Surat Cyber Cell.
Authorities jumped into action and started checking bank accounts and CCTV footage extensively. That’s when they got input about the threat actors. It was the Kapodra branch of HDFC bank where the fraudsters would regularly come to withdraw the siphoned money. After the arrest, the authorities learned that the same gang was involved in over 28 cybercrime incidents, as reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal. They have scammed innocent people across 14 Indian states so far. Police also learned that Parth, the mastermind, had shifted to Cambodia from Dubai 8 months ago.
What is digital arrest?
This is a type of cyber scam where the threat actors try to create a sense of panic and fear in the victim’s mind by posing as someone from an influential and strategic position. Later, they leverage this fear to blackmail the victim and extort them. Scammers often call the victims and accuse them of being involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, or other illegitimate activities. They create a sense of urgency because of which the victims fail to think and act logically and fall prey to digital arrest scams.
The level of sophistication that the scammers achieve is beyond your imagination. From forging logos and signatures to donning fake uniforms and producing doctored documents- the threat actors do anything and everything to coerce money out of the victims.
The Indian government is deeply concerned about the increasing cases of digital arrest scams. They have urged people to stay careful and steer clear of any false allegations.
How do you safeguard your money and data from digital arrest?
Here’s what you should do if you ever receive a call claiming that you are under digital arrest:
Try being calm
If you receive a similar call, stay calm and cool. Try to think and act rationally. Instead of panicking, focus on the scammer’s words. Do not overthink. Also, avoid sharing any personal details with the scammer, knowingly or inadvertently.
Vet the credentials of the caller
In case of a digital arrest scam, threat actors will always pose as some high authority officers. Do not believe the screenshots or documents they share. Rather, visit the official websites of those departments to verify the credibility of the caller.
Never make any payment
No government department ever asks for money to carry out any kind of investigation against you. So, next time you get a call from a fraudster asking for money, know that it’s a clear red flag.
Report the incident- the sooner, the better
If you or a family member has been duped by a digital arrest scammer, report the incident to the relevant authorities as soon as possible. Also, connect with your bank to prevent any financial transactions.
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