Retd inspector, son lose 50,000 in cyber scam

Kanpur: Cyber criminals are relentlessly impersonating law enforcement officers to carry out digital arrests and deceive people. In a recent incident, a retired inspector and his son fell victim to this scam, losing Rs 50,000. The retired inspector, realising the fraud after transferring the money and communicating with his son, lodged a complaint at the Jajmau police station.Kuldeep Singh, resident of Tadbagiya Durga Vihar, Jajmau, son of retired Inspector Awadhesh Singh, received a call from an unknown number around 11 am. on Sunday. The caller, claiming to be "SI Vijay Kumar," informed Kuldeep that a report had been lodged against him at the Akbarpur police station. To avoid police tracking and arrest, Kuldeep was asked to turn off his phone, which he did. Simultaneously, the cyber-criminal contacted Awadhesh from a different number, alleging that Kuldeep was arrested for drug trafficking. They demanded Rs 50,000 for his release, threatening imprisonment otherwise. Awadhesh was also warned not to answer calls from his son or anyone else, as it would result in Kuldeep's immediate incarceration. When Kuldeep attempted to call later, his father did not respond. In the meantime, Awadhesh transferred the requested amount via RTGS to the bank account provided by the scammer. The fraud came to light only after Kuldeep and his father communicated post-transfer. Ajay Prakash Mishra, in-charge of Jajmau police station, said after probe, necessary action would be taken.