Elderly Man Falls Victim to Rs 7.12 Crore Digital Arrest Scam

An 81-year-old man was defrauded of Rs 7.12 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam. Impersonators posing as Mumbai Police convinced him of his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking racket and coerced him into transferring large sums under the pretense of account verification.

An elderly man was duped out of Rs 7.12 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam conducted by fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police officers. The scammers accused him of involvement in a drug trafficking racket and extorted money by claiming it was for verification purposes, as reported by police on Sunday.

The fraud took place when cyber criminals called him, posing as a courier company, claiming that a parcel linked to him was discovered containing MDMA, passports, and credit cards. They said the matter had been handed over to Mumbai police, posing further risk.

Under the guise of verifying his bank details, the fraudsters demanded money transfers, assuring him that the funds would be returned if he was found innocent. The scam continued until the victim, realizing he was deceived, approached the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau for assistance on December 30.

(With inputs from agencies.)