Cyber Security Bureau Saves Doctor from Elaborate Digital Scam

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau thwarted a digital extortion scheme, rescuing an 80-year-old doctor and his family from cyber fraudsters posing as CBI officials. The scammers coerced the family into revealing bank details through intimidation. Quick action by local police averted financial loss and mitigated psychological harm.

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) successfully thwarted a digital extortion plot that ensnared an 80-year-old doctor and his family. The scheme was crafted by cyber criminals masquerading as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, who held the family in a so-called 'digital arrest' for three grueling days.

Fraudsters employed WhatsApp video calls to dupe the elderly doctor, his daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, falsely alleging a criminal link with a bank account in Mumbai. The perpetrators demanded prolonged video call contact and coerced the family into revealing full financial details, almost inciting a premature break of the doctor's fixed deposits.

Suspicion grew when the doctor stopped attending his nursing home, prompting an assistant to alert authorities. Swift intervention by TGCSB's cyber crime unit, led by Deputy SP Ashok Babu, terminated the fraudulent communication. TGCSB's ongoing technical probe aims to dismantle the fraud network, emphasizing the need for public vigilance against such scams.

(With inputs from agencies.)