Pune Techie Loses Rs 23 Lakh in Digital Arrest Scam
Lohgaon, 20th December 2024: A 28-year-old tech professional from Lohgaon, Pune, fell victim to a sophisticated scam, losing ₹23 lakh to fraudsters posing as Mumbai crime branch officials. The scammers threatened him with a “digital arrest” while falsely accusing him of involvement in a money laundering case.
The victim lodged a complaint with the Airport police on Wednesday, detailing that the fraud occurred between December 6 and 7. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the fraudsters accused him of being connected to an illegal money laundering operation allegedly orchestrated by a well-known businessman.
Police said the fraudsters alleged that the techie’s Aadhaar and PAN cards were used in facilitating the crime. They told the victim that a complaint had been registered against him and that an arrest warrant had already been issued, an officer said.
To make their threats more credible, the con artists made a video call to the victim, claiming it was part of an official investigation. They demanded he remain in front of his laptop camera during the call and threatened to arrest him if he didn’t cooperate. To resolve the matter, they instructed him to transfer money to three specific bank accounts, the officer added.
In his desperation to avoid arrest, the techie transferred all his savings to the fraudsters. He even borrowed money from friends to meet their demands. By the time he realized it was a scam, he had already lost ₹23 lakh, the officer said.
This case bears similarities to a scam reported in September, where cybercriminals posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Mumbai crime branch. In that instance, they duped a fashion boutique owner from Aundh of ₹34 lakh. The scammers claimed that phone numbers registered under her name were being used for human trafficking and money laundering.
Police are investigating both cases and have urged citizens to be cautious of such fraudulent schemes. An official advised citizens to always verify the identity of callers claiming to be from law enforcement or government agencies, especially if they demand money or sensitive information.
