Caught unawares
Lucknow: A 66-year-old retired govt employee from Lucknow was held under a five-day-long ‘digital arrest’ and cheated of ₹35 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officers and police officials. The fraudsters reportedly told him that considering his nearly 40 years of service with govt of India, he would not be arrested immediately. The fraudsters threatened to implicate him in terrorism and money-laundering cases, forcing him to remain under constant video surveillance before extracting the money. When Kishore denied any connection to the alleged activities, the callers intensified their pressure. After receiving the money, the accused disappeared. It was only after discussing the incident with acquaintances that Kishore realised he had been duped.
Victim Nand Kishore , a resident of Sector-14, Indira Nagar, approached the cyber crime police station after realising he had fallen prey to a scam. The ordeal began on Oct 24 when Kishore received a call from a man claiming to be an ATS officer, according to police. The caller alleged that investigators had recovered a Canara Bank debit card bearing Kishore’s name from suspected terrorists and that a bank account linked to him was being used for money laundering and suspicious financial transactions.
Over the next five days, between Oct 24 and Oct 28, the fraudsters convinced him that all his bank accounts had to be verified as part of the investigation. Acting under fear and constant intimidation, Kishore transferred ₹35 lakh into bank accounts provided by the callers.
The accused then allegedly forced him to stay connected through video calls around the clock, effectively placing him under a “digital arrest”.