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Digital arrest scams: Playing on fear, fraudsters duped residents of ₹3.36 crore
The primary strategy revolves around creating panic among victims by alleging their involvement in serious offences, like money laundering or drug operations
Cybercriminals have been actively exploiting fear and deception to dupe residents in Chandigarh, with six FIRs registered so far, involving a total fraud of ₹3.36 crore. Chandigarh Police claim that they managed to freeze ₹19.4 lakh, averting further losses.
The primary strategy revolves around creating panic among victims by alleging their involvement in serious offences, like money laundering or drug operations.
In an elaborate scheme, fraudsters targeted parents of students from a prominent Chandigarh school, posing as police officials. Demanding hefty amounts for their children’s release, they claimed that the minors had been detained for ‘drug-related’ activities. The scammers operated through WhatsApp calls, using personal details of children, like dates of birth and parents’ names, to gain credibility. They even played audio clips of a crying child, impersonating the victims’ wards, which left the parents emotionally vulnerable.
A senior citizen from Sector 36-B, Jagmohan Singh Nanda, fell victim to a fraud where the caller pretended to be a police officer, claiming that Nanda’s son had been arrested alongside a terrorist. In a state of distress, Nanda transferred ₹1.12 crore across several transactions for his son’s release. He discovered the scam only after his son returned home safely the next day.
In another case, fraudsters targeted Sector 48 resident Veena Chechi, posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. The scammers claimed that a bank account under her name was linked to money laundering, eventually tricking her into transferring ₹72 lakh.
Scammers also targeted Sector 11-A resident Pratipal Kaur. The fraudsters posed as members of Mumbai Police crime branch and accused her of involvement in money laundering through a mobile number linked to her Aadhaar card. Under pressure, Kaur transferred ₹80.31 lakh to a bank account before realising that she had been duped. Chandigarh cybercrime police arrested three suspects from Rajasthan in connection with the case.
Preying of fear, manipulation
Cyber expert Rajesh Rana said, “The fraudsters’ success lies in their ability to intimidate victims with legal jargon and emotional manipulation, pressurising them into acting hastily, without verification. These scams often employ multiple layers of deception, including fake identities of senior police officers, audio impersonation, and fake arrest warrants to ensure that the victims are too overwhelmed to think rationally.”
He added, “Fraudsters operate through encrypted messaging apps (like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram), making it hard to trace their activities. They often use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to display fake caller IDs, masking their true identity and location.”
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