Noida family loses ₹1 crore in 'digital arrest' scam
What's the story
A family in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly held under "digital arrest" for five days by people impersonating government officials.
The victims were threatened with arrest via video calls over alleged involvement in illegal activities.
The scammers posed as law enforcement officials from agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation or customs officers.
They cited fake international parcels of banned drugs as the reason for their threats.
Scam details
Scammers impersonate officials, threaten victims with arrest
The scam started when Noida resident Chandrabhan Paliwal received a call from an unknown number on February 1.
The caller asked him to get in touch with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), warning that his SIM card would be blocked.
Soon, Paliwal was told that his case had been sent to Cyber Crime Branch in Mumbai.
A person posing as an IPS officer then video-called him from Mumbai's Kolava Police Station.
Threats
Fake officer accuses victim of extortion, money laundering
The fake officer accused Paliwal of extortion and claimed 24 cases were registered against him. The caller also alleged that the CBI was investigating him for money laundering.
Paliwal's wife and daughter also received threatening video calls from the fraudsters. They were told they would be arrested if they did not pay the demanded amount.
Investigation
Family pays ₹1.10 crore to scammers, case registered
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Preeti Yadav said Paliwal paid ₹1.10 crore over five days to the scammers. A case has been registered and investigations are underway.
In a similar incident, an IIT Delhi student lost ₹4.33 lakh to a similar scam. The student was placed under "digital arrest" by scammers posing as police and Enforcement Directorate officials.
The fraudster, Madan Lal, was traced and arrested in Chennai.
Related case
IIT Delhi student loses ₹4.33 lakh in similar scam
The IIT Delhi student's ordeal started on November 16 when he received a call from someone posing as a courier service agent regarding a suspicious parcel sent from Mumbai to Beijing in his name.
Under pressure of threats of arrest for alleged criminal activities, he transferred ₹4.33 lakh between November 16-18 through multiple online transactions to prove his innocence.
Lal converted the scammed money into US dollars and cryptocurrency before selling it to a Chinese national for profit.