Bengaluru man, 70, held in digital arrest for 11 days, duped of ₹89 lakh in cyber scam: Report

The sequence of events began on November 16, when the victim, received a seemingly innocuous phone call from an unknown number.

A 70-year-old Bengaluru resident became the latest victim of a sophisticated cyber scam, losing nearly ₹89 lakh over an 11-day ordeal that saw him manipulated, threatened, and defrauded by criminals posing as law enforcement officials.

Police officials warned the public to be vigilant against such scams. (PTI/FILE IMAGE)

According to a Deccan Herald report, the incident came to light after the victim, a retired banker living in Nagarabhavi, filed a police complaint earlier this month.

The sequence of events began on November 16, when the victim, received a seemingly innocuous phone call from an unknown number. The caller instructed him to press a button on his phone, connecting him to an individual claiming to be a senior police official from New Delhi, the report added.

The impersonator accused the victim of being involved in serious criminal activities, including drug trafficking and financial fraud. To add credibility, they transferred the call to another individual who posed as a cybercrime investigator. This person further escalated the threats, stating that legal action would also implicate Swamy’s family if he failed to comply or disclosed the situation to anyone.

Over the next 11 days, the man was coerced into transferring his entire savings, including fixed deposits, under the pretext of safeguarding the money. The scammers convinced him to send the funds to several accounts they claimed were under the Reserve Bank of India’s oversight. The total amount siphoned off through multiple transactions was ₹89,54,471.

The victim, overwhelmed by fear and confusion, only approached the police weeks later when the fraudsters ceased communication and failed to return the money as promised.

Authorities have since registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.

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

Police officials warned the public to be vigilant against such scams, advising citizens to verify any claims made by unknown callers, especially when it involves financial transactions.