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The fraudsters told him that his SIM card had been used in a Delhi blast case and that Rs 8 lakh had been credited to his bank account in connection with the crime, according to police sources. Garden Road under Nagabazar police station, lives with his wife, a schoolteacher, and their younger daughter, aged 15. Police have launched an investigation.
The former railway official fell prey to fraudsters on February 18, but, terrified by threats of a “digital arrest,” he approached the police only on Tuesday. The victim, a resident of M.C. His elder daughter is pursuing a course in cyber law at a university in England.
Kolkata: A 68-year-old retired railway official from Nagerbazar in Dum Dum lost Rs 48 lakh after falling victim to a “digital arrest” cyber fraud while his daughter is studying cyber law in England. The cyber fraudsters also threatened him with arrest over a fabricated terror charge.,” a senior police officer of the Barrackpore Commissionerate said. Nagabazar police had earlier circulated advisories to banks in the area in view of a spate of digital arrest scams,” an investigating officer said.
“Claiming that an arrest warrant had been issued in his name, they threatened that he must reach Delhi within an hour or Kolkata Police would arrest him and his family members. “Fearing social disgrace and legal consequences, the victim went to his bank and began transferring money via RTGS. After the first transaction, bank officials questioned him about the purpose and recipient of the transfer.
Scammers Exploit Legal Fears to Extract Funds
In a recent incident, a victim was coerced by scammers into transferring all the funds from his bank account to avoid arrest. The perpetrators claimed that this payment was a ‘fine’ necessary to facilitate an ‘investigation.’ They assured the victim that after receiving clearance from both the court and the Reserve Bank of India, the full amount would be refunded, minus a small penalty. This manipulation highlights a growing trend in which fraudsters exploit individuals’ fears of legal repercussions to extract money.