A family from Noida lost approximately Rs. 1.10 crore after being held under ‘digital arrest’ by cybercriminals impersonating top law enforcement officials.
The victim, Chandrabhan Paliwal, a resident of Noida’s Sector 19, reported fraud to the police after being tricked into believing he was under government surveillance. As per The Indian Express, the ordeal began on February 1 when Paliwal received a call from an unknown number, warning him that his SIM card would be blocked unless he contacted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Shortly after, another caller falsely informed him that his name was linked to 24 cybercrime cases and a money laundering investigation by the Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch. The scam escalated to a video call where an individual, posing as a judge, denied Paliwal bail and ordered him to transfer Rs. 1.10 crore within three days.
The fraudsters not only threatened Paliwal but also targeted his wife and daughter, forcing them to stay on the video call at all times. They ensured the family kept their phone charged to prevent disconnection, maintaining an atmosphere of fear and urgency.
The scammers used multiple WhatsApp numbers to sustain the deception, ultimately compelling Paliwal to make multiple transactions amounting to Rs. 1.10 crore.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Preeti Yadav confirmed that the fraudsters manipulated Paliwal into believing his Aadhaar card was under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In digital arrest scams, perpetrators impersonate government officials, coercing victims into paying them. However, people must understand that the government doesn’t work this way. They won’t video call you and certainly cannot ‘digitally arrest’ you. Furthermore, if any case goes to court, it involves thousands of pages of documents.
The scammers take advantage of the public’s lack of general knowledge. To defeat digital arrest scams, one should just know their rights and understand how things generally work at the local and state levels of government.
Recently, a woman in Gujarat lost over Rs 10 lakh after believing she was under an investigation. Last month, reports emerged that scammers from Nepal were impersonating TRAI officials and threatening victims with digital arrests.
Similarly, a Bareilly doctor was also involved in this scam, and so was a BSF inspector. The latter fell prey to one of the longest digital arrest scams, which went on for one month.
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