Digital Arrest: 72-year-old Businessman Loses Rs 58 Crore To Fraudsters Posing As ED, CBI In Mumbai
In another digital arrest scam incident, a Mumbai business man has lost Rs 58 crore. The scam was orchestrated by fraudsters posing as ED and CBI officials, police said on Thursday, October 16.
According to the police, the amount that was lost in the scam could be one of the largest reported in a ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud case involving a single individual, Economic Times reported, qouting sources.
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The fraudsters posed as personnel of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, and contacted the 72-year-old businessperson between August 19 and October 8, claiming that his name had cropped up in a case of money laundering.
The scammers then threatened the business executive and his wife by making a video call and placing them under digital arrest. As the scammers asked him to deposit money into their account, the victim transferred Rs 58 crore through RTGS in multiple bank accounts within a span of about two months.
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After realizing that he was cheated, the man approached the cyber police with a complaint. The Maharashtra cyber department has arrested three persons in connection with the case, and is conducting a probe into the incident.
A growing form of cyber crime in India, digital arrest means fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or personnel of government agencies and intimidate victims through audio/video calls. The scammers hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money.
