Doctor falls prey to digi-arrest scam

Lucknow: Another doctor in Lucknow fell victim to a cyber scam after being digitally extorted by conmen. Aliganj-based physician, Dr Ashok Solanki, 66, who runs a private clinic in Vikasnagar, was put under digital arrest for over 1.5 days at his home on the evenings of Aug 20-21. He was duped of Rs 48 lakh by two fraudsters, one posing as an employee of a courier service and the other as DGP of Mumbai, said Lucknow police.
An FIR was registered at the cybercrime police station on Aug 22, on the complaint by Dr Solanki.However, the matter surfaced only on Thursday. The incident came on the heels of a recent digital arrest of a PGI doctor who was duped of crores by cyber thugs.
Solanki said in the FIR that a person called him on Aug 20, introducing himself as an employee of a courier service located in Andheri East (Mumbai), saying that an FIR had been registered against him at the Mumbai crime branch.
“During the 45-minute call, the caller said a parcel has been sent to you in the name of Arman Ali, who lives in Iran. It contains fake passports, laptops, pen drives and drugs. An FIR has been registered against you at the crime branch, Mumbai, and I should also register an FIR for which he would connect me with cops from Mumbai crime branch on a Skype video call,” the complainant said, adding that the thug made him speak to another conman posing as DCP of Mumbai. The complainant said that the conmen digitally arrested him in his bedroom for about 1.5 days and later asked him to transfer Rs 48 lakh. The victim said that the thug told him that a transaction of crores had been done in his account and that CBI and ED are investigating it. “Whatever amount is in your account, transfer it to the accounts mentioned. RBI will investigate and after that the amount will be sent back to your account. This will help in catching the culprits,” the accused told Solanki.
The doctor transferred Rs 48 lakh on Aug 21 in two instalments to the accounts mentioned by the duo. After that, neither the money was returned nor did the callers call again, said police.
“Later, when I discussed the matter with my family and friends, I was told that I have fallen victim to cyber fraud,” the victim told police.
Cyber cell inspector Brijesh Kumar said that an FIR was registered and a probe was being conducted.