Digital Arrest: Retd railway officer duped of Rs 45 lakh

Indore: A retired railway divisional safety officer from Indore was allegedly duped of Rs 45 lakh after cyber fraudsters kept him under ‘digital arrest’ for nearly 24 hours. The state cyber cell arrested one person from Ahmedabad in connection with the case and facilitated the refund of Rs 15 lakh to the victim.SP Sabyasachi Saraf said that the fraud took place on Aug 9 last year when the victim received a call from a person posing as an official of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).The caller claimed that two mobile phone numbers linked to the victim had been used in criminal activities and warned that he was facing legal action. The fraudsters then kept the elderly man continuously engaged over video calls, claiming that an arrest warrant had been issued against him.With the threat of arrest, the victim, who lives alone as his children are settled abroad, was allegedly coerced into disclosing details of his movable and immovable assets and was instructed not to inform anyone about the matter. Under constant surveillance by the fraudsters, he transferred Rs 45 lakh online to bank accounts provided by them.After the complaint reached state cyber cell, officials immediately coordinated through the Union home ministry’s cybercrime portal and helpline to freeze the suspected bank accounts.

During the investigation, authorities managed to recover and refund Rs 15 lakh to the complainant. A case was registered under relevant provisions of Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Following the money trail, investigators arrested Hiral Kansara from Ahmedabad, whose bank account allegedly received the defrauded amount. Police said that the accused had registered a campus placement training institute and was also found to be operating five to six companies.

Investigators further found the accused’s alleged involvement in cheating cases registered in Ahmedabad, while another digital arrest-related case has been traced to Haryana.The Cyber Cell said efforts were underway to identify and arrest other members of the fraud network. Officials have once again appealed to citizens, particularly senior citizens, to remain alert against digital arrest scams, stressing that no government agency conducts investigations or arrests through video calls or asks people to transfer money for verification. They advised people to avoid sharing financial or personal information with unknown callers and to report cyber fraud immediately through the national cybercrime portal or by calling the 1930 helpline.