Former Karnataka MLA loses ₹31 lakh in elaborate ‘digital arrest’ scam disguised as CBI probe: Report

A former Karnataka MLA lost ₹31 lakh in a digital arrest scam where impersonators claimed to be law enforcement.

Published on: Sep 9, 2025, 16:14:32 IST

By HT News Desk, Bengaluru

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A former MLA from Aurad constituency in Karnataka’s Bidar district has fallen prey to a sophisticated scam known as a "digital arrest" - where scammers impersonate law enforcement officers and trick victims using fake legal proceedings over video calls.

The victim, a former MLA from Karnataka, was manipulated over video calls, believing he was under investigation, before realizing it was a fraud and reporting it to the police. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The victim lost ₹31 lakh between August 12 and 19 after being manipulated into believing he was under investigation by central agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said a report by The Times of India.

According to the police complaint filed on September 6, the ordeal began when the victim received a call at around 6 pm on August 12 from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be a CBI officer and accused him of being involved in a money laundering case linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. The victim initially suspected it was a scam but was gradually intimidated into believing the caller was genuine.

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The caller transferred the call to a man who introduced himself as Neeraj Kumar, a deputy commissioner of police. Neeraj said that considering the victim’s age and background, they would place him under a “digital arrest” and conduct a virtual investigation instead of physically detaining him.

For days, the victim was kept under constant surveillance through WhatsApp video calls. The scammers even staged a fake virtual courtroom with a judge, complete with ID cards, arrest warrants and what looked like a police station in the background.

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On two occasions, the victim was instructed to transfer money - ₹10.99 lakh first, and ₹20 lakh later - supposedly as a refundable deposit for investigation purposes, the report stated. The victim complied, believing the money would be returned after verification.

It was only after the second transfer that he confided in his family and realized he had been scammed. He then approached the police, who have registered a case under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code for cheating and impersonation.

Police are now investigating the source of the calls and tracking the bank accounts involved in the fraud.

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