Retired Judge Conned in Rs 31 Lakh Digital Arrest Scam

A retired judge from Maharashtra was defrauded of Rs 31 lakh by cybercriminals in a digital arrest scam. The fraudsters posed as police officials and intimidated the judge into transferring money by falsely accusing him of money laundering charges.

A retired 71-year-old judge from a consumer court in Amravati, Maharashtra, fell prey to a sophisticated digital arrest scam, losing Rs 31 lakh, as confirmed by the police.

The complaint was lodged with the Amravati cyber police, located approximately 700km from Mumbai, when the judge received threatening calls from an anonymous caller on September 25. The caller falsely accused him of sending obscene messages through a SIM card registered in his name and being involved in money laundering activities.

During a video call, the scammer, pretending to be a law enforcement official, claimed that the judge was under investigation by 'high court orders' and coerced him into transferring funds by promising to return the amount if found innocent. The victim eventually realized the deception and reported it online, prompting an ongoing police investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)