UP doctor duped of Rs 40 lakh in digital arrest scam

Lucknow: A shocking incident of cyber fraud has come to light as a woman doctor a professor at a government medical university in Uttar Pradesh, fell victim to a 'digital arrest' scam and was duped of Rs 40 lakh.

The cybercrime, known as 'digital arrest,' involves cybercriminals posing as law enforcement or investigative authorities to coerce individuals into transferring money under false pretenses.

According to the woman’s statement, she received a call on March 11, purportedly from Maharashtra, reports IANS.

The caller accused her of involvement in illegal activities using a phone number issued under her ID in July 2023. The call was then transferred to someone claiming to be from the Maharashtra police headquarters, who accused her of fraudulent activities, including money laundering through a fictitious account in Canara Bank, Mumbai. The caller threatened her with an arrest warrant and claimed to have blocked her financial cards, PAN, and Aadhaar.

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According to IANS,“An arrest warrant has been issued in your name. All your financial accounts will be frozen and they will be investigated. Till then you are put under ‘digital arrest’. After that they called me on Skype and showed me many documents which included my phone number, Aadhaar number and which also included my arrest warrant,” she said.

“A staggering amount of Rs 31.31 lakh was transferred by her on March 11, followed by Rs 9 lakh from another account the next day,” police said.

Furthermore, the scammers instructed the woman to maintain constant communication, provide personal information and refrain from contacting anyone else, citing national security concerns and the purported involvement of police and bank officials in the scam, police said.

Upon realizing she had been deceived, the professor promptly reported the incident to the cybercrime police station and filed a formal complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR.

The victim, a widow, had saved the money for her children's education and her future, making the loss particularly devastating.

Former SP in Cyber Cell and cyber expert, Triveni Singh said that people should be aware that no legitimate agency will request presence on a Skype call for matters of investigation or arrest. There is nothing like a ‘digital arrest’.

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