80-year-old doctor kept under digital arrest for 8 days, cheated of Rs 80 lakhs

New Delhi: Even an 80-year-old doctor was not spared in a shocking case of digital arrest, a rising form of cybercrime in which victims are tricked into believing they are involved in illegal activities. A well-known physician from East Delhi lost a staggering Rs 80 lakh to cyber fraudsters after being kept under digital arrest for eight days in a money laundering case.

Although the police have registered an FIR against the fraudsters under multiple sections, the accused remain at large, and the stolen money has yet to be recovered and returned to the doctor.

The fraudsters, operating as a coordinated group, impersonated Mumbai Police, CBI officers, and even a judge in a fake court, where they staged a video call with the judge saying, "Order! Order!". This elaborate scam continued for eight days, ultimately pressuring Dr Ramesh Chander Singla to break his fixed deposits in an attempt to clear his name from the false money laundering case.

Also read- Digital Arrest Scam: How Cops save doctor from losing money to fraudsters

It all began on March 21, when Dr Singla was getting ready to leave for his clinic. Around 8:45 am, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller told him that a second phone number was linked to his name and was involved in criminal activity. 

"I was taking a bath when I received a call around 8.45 am. The caller introduced himself as Deepak Sharma, claiming to be Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). He said there was a second number linked to my account, which was found to be involved in illegal activities. When I insisted that I only had one account, he said he was transferring the call to ‘police'," he told TOI.

Soon after, another caller, pretending to be from the police, accused Dr Singla of being connected to a money laundering case involving a man named Naresh Goyal. 

"They asked me if I knew anyone named Naresh Goyal, who was arrested in a money laundering case. They asked me how I was also involved in similar illegal activities. I told them I had no knowledge of it and that I don't use credit or debit cards for anything beyond my one bank account. They asked me to write an application to the ‘chief of CBI in Mumbai', explaining everything I had told them. They also requested to see my Aadhaar card. By this time, the calls were very convincing, and I was told that an arrest warrant was out for me, so I had to cooperate fully," said Dr Singla.

To make the scam convincing, the group of fraudsters pretended to be officers from Mumbai Police and the CBI by wearing fake uniforms and connecting the doctor to multiple people on video calls. This scared the doctor, who then started to believe the scam and was dragged deeper into the scheme. 

"The calls continued throughout the day. In the afternoon, I told them I was at my clinic when they insisted that the ‘chief of CBI' would speak with me. They called me on video, and I was introduced to various people one by one — an ‘investigating officer from Mumbai Police', followed by an ‘inspector from CBI'. They were all dressed up properly in their uniforms. I just felt scared and paralysed," Dr Singla recalled.

To make things even more believable, they staged a fake courtroom hearing on video, where a man pretending to be a judge declared, "Order! Order!" They told Dr Singla that there was a 45-minute recording of Goyal speaking about illegal activities — a complete lie — and that it was being verified.

"They would call me every day, constantly telling me that I was under surveillance and that my life was in danger. I was even put on a video call with a person pretending to be a judge, who banged a gavel and declared, ‘Order! Order!'"

"From March 23 to 24, the men insisted that I visit my bank and break my fixed deposit to transfer funds ‘temporarily' to an account. As they continued to pressure me, I broke two FDs — of Rs 71.5 lakh and over Rs 4 lakh — first on March 25 and then on March 28. They repeatedly told me that I couldn't discuss this with anyone, warning me that revealing it would put my life at risk," he said.

Fearing for his safety and unsure of whom to trust, Dr Singla complied with the conmen's demands and transferred more funds. He was told the entire amount would be transferred back once the ‘investigation' was over. However, on March 29, the fraudsters stopped answering the doctor's calls, after which he realised that he had been scammed.

"I was just trying to protect myself and my family. They kept telling me that everything would be fine if I just followed their instructions. I have spent decades helping others, I never imagined this could happen to me," said Dr Singla.

After losing his life savings, the doctor approached the police and filed a complaint. Later, the police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Also read- Ahmedabad doctor duped of Rs 4 crore after 10-day digital arrest by cybercriminals