Ex-govt. employee loses ₹1.2 crore in cyber arrest scam, case registered

A 73-year-old retired government employee reportedly lost ₹ 1.2 crore in yet another instance of ‘cyber arrest’. The Ernakulam Rural cyber police registered a case on a complaint by the victim, a native of Vengola.

According to the first information report (FIR), the accused, pretending to be officers from the Greater Mumbai Police, contacted the man via WhatsApp. He was made to transfer the amount in three transactions into two accounts after being ‘convinced’ that he was under virtual arrest.

The transactions were made on August 18, according to the FIR, which was registered on Friday. The case was registered under Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (cheating) and IT Act Sections 66C (cybercrimes related to identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation).