Ahmedabad doctor duped of Rs 4 crore after 10-day digital arrest by cybercriminals
Ahmedabad: A 55-year-old city-based woman doctor was swindled of Rs 4 crore after being placed under 'digital arrest' for 10 days.The Gujarat CID Cyber Crime cell arrested an MBA student from Mumbai, who worked as a caller for a Cambodia-based international gang after his return from the Southeast Asian nation.
According to the police, the accused claimed he was pursuing an MBA and went to Cambodia to earn money. He then joined an international criminal gang run by Chinese and Cambodian nationals nearly five months ago.
After duping the doctor and extorting her money, the 26-year-old accused confessed that he was paid Rs 10 lakh in five months by the gang. He claimed to have used the extorted funds to clear his MBA course fees and purchase the latest version of the iPhone, as per the Indian Express news report.
A PTI news agency, reported that this is the first time that the Gujarat CID Crime has nabbed a caller linked to a 'digital arrest' scam in the state, said an official of the CID's State Cyber Crime Cell.
It was revealed the accused, Chetan Kokare (26), went to Cambodia a few months ago and joined a gang run by Chinese and Cambodian nationals that hire people from India, Pakistan and Nepal to pose as officials of the ED, CBI, police or Customs to extort money from unsuspecting individuals in the name of digital arrest, he said.
It appears Kokare, who claimed to be pursuing an MBA in Mumbai, went to Cambodia to make quick money but ended up joining a gang of cybercriminals.
Based on a specific tip-off that Kokare has returned to India and currently living in Mumbai, the Gujarat CID Crime, with the help of Mumbai police, nabbed him from the Colaba area and brought him here on Thursday, said Superintendent of Police (CID Crime) Dharmendra Sharma.
"Nearly three months ago, a working professional (based in Ahmedabad) received a call from a person who claimed to be an executive of a courier firm. He told the victim a parcel booked in the latter's name had been seized by police because it contained drugs and passports. The caller told the victim to talk to the Mumbai cyber crime," said Sharma.
The caller then asked the Ahmedabad resident to talk to Mumbai cyber crime officials to get a police clearance certificate. When the victim agreed, the caller connected the video call to another person, who identified himself as the DCP of Mumbai crime branch Milind Baramde, said Sharma.
"The fake DCP, wearing a police uniform, threatened to implicate the victim in a false case. The victim was kept under 'digital arrest' by the accused for 10 days and forced to transfer Rs 4 crore into their bank accounts to settle the matter. On realising he was cheated, the victim recently contacted us," said the SP.
Based on technical inputs and surveillance, the CID identified the caller, who posed as a courier firm executive, as Mumbai resident Kokare and nabbed him.
During preliminary questioning, the accused claimed he was pursuing an MBA and went to Cambodia to earn money. He then joined an international criminal gang run by Chinese and Cambodian nationals nearly five months ago, said Sharma.
"He claimed he was paid Rs 10 lakh in five months by the gang. A video on his mobile phone revealed nearly 50 persons are running this racket from a building in Cambodia. Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese are hired by the gang to pose as police as well as other government officials," said the SP.
In digital arrest scams, fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials on video calls to dupe their victims. They threaten unsuspecting individuals with arrest over fake charges and pressure them to transfer large sums of money to avoid further legal action.
Also read- SGPGI doctor's mother put under digital arrest, loses Rs 18 lakh in 7 days
