Fraudsters dupe retired engineer of over Rs 20 lakh in digital arrest scam

Hyderabad: A 76-year-old retired engineer from Kukatpally was allegedly duped of over Rs 20 lakh by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers in a digital arrest scam.The victim received calls from unidentified numbers starting Feb 11. The callers claimed his Aadhaar credentials were linked to 247 bank accounts allegedly used for money laundering. They further threatened him, saying that the Supreme Court had cleared an arrest warrant against him.
Under the pretext of verifying the allegations, the gang coerced the senior citizen into joining a WhatsApp video call, during which he was asked to display his Aadhaar card. While he was on the call, one of the fraudsters, posing as a control room staff member, read out the victim's personal details to lend authenticity to the entire act of fraud.Feigning urgency, the fraudsters forwarded forged documents bearing the logos of the CBI, Mumbai crime branch and the Supreme Court. They insisted that the victim transfer the entire balance in his bank accounts to an ‘anti-money laundering department' account for audit and assured to return the amount within 48 to 72 hours.Intimidated by the threats that non-compliance would attract seven years of imprisonment and a Rs 20 lakh fine, the victim, on Feb 24, transferred over Rs 20 lakh to a transport company's bank account as per the instructions of the fraudsters. When there was no communication from the accused after the transfer, the victim approached police on Feb 26. A case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS, along with Sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act.