Hyderabad woman falls victim to ‘Digital Arrest’ scam, loses Rs. 8 lakh
Hyderabad: A 40-year-old woman from Hyderabad was defrauded of Rs. 8 lakhs by cyber fraudsters posing as agents of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The Hyderabad cybercrime police have registered a case. According to the police, the woman received a call from an individual claiming to be from the Telecom Authority of India (TRAI).
The fraudster told her that her phone number was linked to an FIR for sending harassing and abusive messages (Case No: MH/5621/2024). He also provided a location in Mumbai claiming the number had been activated there. When the woman confronted him, stating that she was in Hyderabad and never been to Mumbai, the scammer threatened to deactivate her mobile number and warned that the Hyderabad police would arrest her.
He also informed her that an arrest warrant had been issued against her and advised her to contact the Cybercrime branch. The fraudster then connected her to another individual, Vijay Khanna, who claimed to be an officer with Mumbai cybercrime branch.
He informed her that the phone line was not secure and asked her to switch to Skype video call. During the call, she was connected to another individual who identified himself as CBI officer Akash Kulhari, a CBI officer from the Mumbai Cybercrime Division. He requested a photo of her Aadhar card, which she provided. He then called the control room to verify her Aadhar details, after which another person informed her that her Aadhar ID was linked to a money laundering case.
They claimed that eight bank accounts had been opened under her name across India, including one in Canara Bank, Mumbai. The officer sent her a photo of a criminal and asked if she recognized the person, alleging that she was a suspect in a crime. He further threatened her, stating that if her bank transactions were found to be illegal, it would result in severe consequences. He explained that she had been “digitally arrested” and warned her not to disconnect the call, citing a life threat.
The victim was also informed that her bank accounts had been frozen and was instructed to transfer the balances to an SSA account provided by the “police” for verification of any illegal transactions. The fraudster shared bank account details for the transfer including those of Rana Trad, Bandhan Bank, along with other account details.
He also shared fabricated documents via WhatsApp including an acknowledgment letter from the Mumbai Crime Branch and CBI, and an arrest order from the Directorate of Enforcement. Using these documents, they pressured the frightened victim into transferring funds from her account to the SSA account. Following their instructions, she transferred a total of Rs. 8,00,000. After realizing that she had been scammed, the victim filed a complaint with the Cybercrime police (8383/2024) and urged them to help her recover the money.
Helpline number 1930
The cybercrime police have advised the public to immediately call the National Cyber Crime helpline at 1930 or register a case on cybercrime.gov.in. for immediate assistance in such cases.
