Bollaram man loses ₹1crore in digital arrest scam
HYDERABAD: A 65-year-old private employee from Bollaram, lost ₹1.38 crore after falling prey to a "digital arrest" scam, where fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials extorted money under threat of criminal action.
In his complaint to the Cyber Crime police on September 18, SV Bhasker Reddy, son of late S Chenna Reddy, said he received a call on September 11 from someone claiming to be from the Telephone Department. The call was allegedly transferred to a person identifying himself as Inspector Madan Kumar, who claimed that Reddy’s Aadhaar had been misused in illegal bank accounts and a case was registered against him at Gandhi Nagar police station in Bengaluru.
Fraudsters posed as police and CBI officers over video calls
Reddy stated that when he explained he was elderly and a heart patient, the caller arranged a WhatsApp video call. The man appeared in police uniform and introduced another person, identified as Akash Chowdhary from the Central Bureau of Investigation, who too was in uniform. They warned Reddy that if he revealed details of the case, his entire family would be arrested.
Victim threatened with arrest, forced to transfer large sums
The fraudsters then pressured him to transfer money for "verification." Believing their threats, Reddy transferred ₹1,38,43,952 in three instalments between September 15 and 16 into accounts linked to Yes Bank. He did not inform his wife out of fear.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters later sent him forged documents claiming to be from the Enforcement Directorate and the Supreme Court, assuring him protection from arrest and a refund of his money with interest. On September 18, they demanded an additional ₹1.75 lakh, which raised his suspicion. Reddy then realised it was a scam and approached the police.
The Cyber Crime police have registered a case based on his complaint and initiated an investigation into the fraudsters who impersonated government officials to extort the money.
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