Senior Citizen in Hyderabad Loses Rs 1.92 Crore in Sophisticated Digital Arrest Scam: Police Issue Warning

The victim was informed that a case had been filed against him for improper use of his Aadhaar card. (Representational)

Hyderabad:

Cybercrime Police in Hyderabad have arrested three individuals involved in a digital arrest scam that defrauded a senior citizen of Rs 1.92 crore. A 71-year-old man from Hyderabad filed a complaint after being deceived by cybercriminals posing as officials.

The perpetrators, who presented themselves as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, convinced the victim to transfer Rs 1,92,50,070 to various bank accounts between November 7 and 14, according to police statements released on Sunday.

The scammers claimed that a case had been registered against the victim for misuse of his Aadhaar card. They alleged that an account had been opened at Canara Bank in Mumbai using his Aadhaar details. During a video call, they displayed a photo of a Canara Bank ATM card and sent a fraudulent FIR from the Crime Branch in Delhi. Subsequently, they demanded money to resolve the case. Trusting their claims, the victim transferred funds to the bank accounts they provided.

After realizing he had been scammed, the victim approached the authorities. A case was registered at the Cybercrime Police Station under sections 66 C and 66 D of the Information Technology Act, along with relevant sections of the BNS.

Police apprehended Pandu Vinith Raj, G. Thirupathaiah, and Gouni Vishwanatham, all Hyderabad residents. These individuals were linked to five cases across India, with two occurring in Telangana.

The primary suspect, Saneep alias Alex, remains at large. Vinith Raj functioned as the account provider, while Thirupathaiah and Vishwanatham were joint account holders.

Authorities have issued warnings to the public about digital arrest scams.

Police have emphasized that "Digital Arrest" is not a legitimate legal concept under Indian law. They clarified that genuine arrests involve officers physically presenting themselves with an official, verifiable warrant, rather than conducting arrests via video calls.

Citizens are advised never to transfer money when requested. Legitimate law enforcement or government agencies such as the Police, CBI, ED, or Customs will never request payment of fines, security deposits, or money transfers via phone, UPI, cryptocurrency, or gift cards to "avoid arrest" or "clear your name."

Additionally, police have cautioned against sharing OTPs, passwords, bank account information, Aadhaar, or PAN details over phone or video calls, particularly with unknown individuals claiming to be officials.