₹3.14 cr cyber fraud: Police teams leave for Assam, W Bengal

The victim had received the phone call on February 25 from an unidentified number, and was put under arrest by the frauds by accusing him of being linked to money laundering

Noida: Days after a 77-year-old man reported to have been duped of ₹3.14 cr after being put under digital arrest for over a fortnight until March 12, the cybercrime branch police on Friday said they have dispatched two teams to Assam and West Bengal for involved suspects.

The elderly man visited the bank around seven times in 16 days and transferred the entire amount to five bank accounts operational in Assam and West Bengal. (Representational image)

“The teams were dispatched to nab the suspects who provided their bank accounts to the cybercriminals,” said an officer, part of the investigation requesting anonymity.

Police said that the victim had received the phone call on February 25 from an unidentified number, and was put under arrest by the frauds by accusing him of being linked to money laundering.

A case under sections for extortion, cheating by personation, and cheating of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the IT Act was registered at the cybercrime branch on Wednesday, and a probe is underway, said officers.

“We were informed that the elderly man visited the bank around seven times in 16 days and transferred the entire amount to five bank accounts operational in Assam and West Bengal,” said cybercrime branch station house officer Ranjeet Singh.

“The cybercriminals transferred the amount to multiple bank accounts. We are identifying the money trail from five accounts to others. We have managed to freeze ₹39 lakh out of ₹3.14 crore. As the investigation progresses, we expect to freeze more amounts,” the officer added.

Police said that the victim, who requested not to be identified, retired from the board of a government-owned insurance firm, and lives with his elderly wife in a high-rise in Sector 75. Their children are settled abroad.

“When the elderly couple came to the cybercrime branch police station in Sector 36, they refused to believe that the officers over video calls were cybercriminals. They believed it was a genuine process and their money would be returned. During the digital arrest, his wife believed that her husband would be safe following the online interrogation,” said a senior officer, urging not be named.