Mumbai Businessman Falls Victim to Rs 53 Lakh 'Digital Arrest' Scam by Fake Law Enforcement Officials

Mumbai:

A 60-year-old businessman from south Mumbai fell victim to cyber fraudsters who kept him under 'digital arrest' overnight. The perpetrators, impersonating senior law enforcement officials, successfully defrauded him of Rs 53 lakh, according to police reports released on Tuesday.

The fraudsters falsely accused the businessman of involvement in a money laundering case and coerced him to remain on a video call throughout the night. They claimed he had an online bail hearing scheduled in court the following day and even issued a counterfeit Supreme Court notice to enhance their credibility.

'Digital arrest' represents an emerging cybercrime trend where scammers pose as law enforcement or government agency personnel. They intimidate victims through audio/video calls, effectively holding them hostage virtually while pressuring them to transfer funds.

Police reports indicate that the victim, an Agripada resident, received a call from an unknown number on November 2. The caller identified himself as Rajiv Sinha, purportedly an officer from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and demanded the businessman appear before Delhi police within two hours, claiming a SIM card registered in his name had been used in fraudulent activities.

When the victim explained he couldn't travel to Delhi on such short notice, the caller informed him of an alleged offense registered against him in Delhi and warned that police would contact him directly.

According to officials, the businessman subsequently received a video call from another individual claiming to be Vijay Khanna from Delhi police. This impersonator told the victim that his name had been implicated in a money laundering case and that his Aadhaar card had been misused to open an account at a nationalized bank in Dariyagunj, Delhi.

The scammers kept the victim in a state of anxiety for hours, transferring calls between various individuals posing as senior officials. These fraudsters displayed fabricated notices on letterheads of the "Anti-Corruption Branch," "Inspection Department," and "Director of Enforcement" to maintain the facade.

Throughout the night, the victim endured questioning about his financial assets, properties, and savings while the call continued uninterrupted.

The criminals informed the victim he was under arrest and must remain confined to his room until his online bail hearing the next day.

During the fraudulent "online hearing" the following day, the scammers claimed the court had denied bail and ordered all the victim's bank accounts frozen, instructing that his funds be transferred to nationalized banks.

One of the perpetrators sent the victim a counterfeit Supreme Court notice along with bank account details. Under extreme duress, the victim transferred Rs 53 lakh to the specified account.

The victim finally realized he had been scammed when the caller demanded additional payments. He managed to escape the room under the pretext of using the bathroom and immediately contacted the police helpline 1930 to report the digital arrest.

He subsequently filed a formal complaint at the Central Region Cyber police station, where authorities have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.