Bengaluru engineer scammed of ₹11.8 crore in 'digital arrest' scam, duped by fake police, CBI officers over Skype

The fraud began with a call from a man claiming to be an officer with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), as claimed by the Bengaluru man.

A Bengaluru software engineer, 39, from GKVK Layout, near Hebbal, recently became a victim of a digital arrest scam, losing a staggering ₹11.8 crore.

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According to Times of India report, the incident, which unfolded between November 25 and December 12, was reported to the North-East Cybercrime, Economic offences, Narcotics (CEN) police.

The fraud began with a call from a man claiming to be an officer with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), as claimed by the complainant. The caller informed the victim that a SIM card had been registered in his name and was being used for illegal activities, such as sending harassment messages. The caller further alleged that victim's Aadhaar details were misused to procure the SIM.

The fraudster told the victim the that the issue was being investigated and a case had been filed at the Colaba cyber police station in Mumbai, the report added. Shortly after, another individual, posing as a police officer, contacted the victim. This time, he was informed that his Aadhaar was linked to bank accounts used for money laundering. The caller warned him not to discuss the matter with anyone, as it involved influential people already arrested for similar crimes. He was threatened with arrest if he did not cooperate.

The man then received a series of calls from different numbers, including one from 9997342801, which instructed him to download the Skype app for further communication. A person claiming to be from the Mumbai police appeared on video, accusing the man of being involved in a transaction worth ₹6 crore linked to businessman Naresh Goyal’s account at Canara Bank.

Supreme Court, RBI threats

The fraudsters continued to pressure the Bengaluru man, telling him that his case was under review by the Supreme Court and that it needed to be resolved immediately. They demanded verification of his bank account transactions as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, instructing him to transfer large sums of money to various accounts. Fearing arrest, the victim complied, eventually transferring ₹11.8 crore over several days.

Realising he had been scammed, the man contacted the police on December 12.

A case has been filed under the Information Technology Act and sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by impersonation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are ongoing, the report added.