Retired banker duped of Rs23.4 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ scam

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A retired banker from Parli town in Beed district allegedly fell prey to the digital arrest con and lost Rs23.4 lakh to cyber fraudsters who claimed to be officials from the central agencies, Beed police said on Wednesday.The victim, Suryakant Munde, received a call on March 5 from an unidentified person who accused him of being involved in a money laundering case. The caller claimed to be an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and sent a fake notice issued in the name of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to make the claim appear legitimate.According to the police, the conman even made a video call to Munde posing as the investigating officer. The fraudster then pressured him into cooperating in the "investigation" and warned him of arrest if he failed to comply.Munde was later coerced into transferring money to multiple bank accounts shared by the accused. Citing content of the complaint, Beed cyber police said that between March 5 and March 18, the retired banker transferred a total of Rs23.4 lakh in several transactions.Despite making the payments, the suspects continued to demand more money, raising suspicion. Munde later informed his family members about the repeated demands following which the fraud came to light.A complaint was subsequently lodged at the cyber police station in Beed where a case has been registered. Police are now trying to trace the suspects and track the money trail through the bank accounts used in the fraud.Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat has cautioned people against falling prey to such scams. "No legitimate agency, including the RBI, CBI or police, conducts investigations through video calls or demands money for verification or settlement of cases. Citizens must verify such claims and immediately report suspicious calls to the police," he said.Kanwat further urged people, especially senior citizens, to remain vigilant against cyber fraudsters who use fear tactics such as "digital arrest" or legal threats to extort money.