In today’s digital world, our lives are interconnected through the internet. From shopping on the web and managing finances to connecting with our loved ones, everything is done online these days.
But the comfort also comes with some risks.
Professor scammed with Rs 40 Lakhs
In a recent online scam, a government medical university professor fell victim to a “digital arrest” scam and was tricked into paying a heavy amount of Rs 40 lakhs. The scam technique is called “digital arrest” where a scammer fools the victim under the disguise of law enforcement agencies.
“An arrest warrant has been issued in your name. All your financial accounts will be frozen and they will be investigated. Till then you are put under ‘digital arrest’. After that they called me on Skype and showed me many documents which included my phone number, Aadhaar number, and which also included my arrest warrant,” she said.
The Attack: What happened?
On March 11, the professor received a call purportedly from Maharashtra. The caller alleged that a phone number issued under her ID in July 2023 was involved in illegal activities, including text message scams, phishing, and money laundering.
The call was then transferred to another individual claiming to be from the Maharashtra police headquarters. This person accused her of opening a fraudulent account in Canara Bank, Mumbai, leading to money laundering activities. The caller even spoke about an arrest warrant issued in her name.
The scammer threatened her, stating that all her financial cards, PAN, and Aadhaar had been blocked. They claimed she was under ‘digital arrest’.
To add to her distress, the scammers showed her documents via Skype, including her phone number, Aadhaar number, and the alleged arrest warrant.
The professor was coerced into transferring a staggering amount of Rs 31.31 lakh on March 11, followed by Rs 9 lakh from another account the next day.
The scammers instructed her to maintain constant communication, provide personal information, and refrain from contacting anyone else, citing national security concerns and the purported involvement of police and bank officials in the scam.
Realizing she had fallen victim to cyber fraud, she promptly reported the incident to the cybercrime police station and filed a formal complaint.
Impact of the attack
According to police, “A staggering amount of Rs 31.31 lakh was transferred by her on March 11, followed by Rs 9 lakh from another account the next day.”
The stolen money was the professor’s entire savings, which she had kept for her kids’ studies and her future.
Triveni Singh, a former SP in the Cyber Cell and a cyber expert said that no reputable agency will request a Skype chat for reasons of investigation or arrest. There's nothing like a 'digital arrest'.