Retired Govt Employee in Vizag Duped of Rs 2.5 Crore in 'Digital Arrest' Fraud

A retired government employee in Visakhapatnam, India, lost over Rs 2.5 crore to a "digital arrest" scam. Posing as police, fraudsters falsely accused him of money laundering, threatening arrest and displaying a fake warrant via video call.

A retired government employee from Visakhapatnam city became the latest victim of a growing cybercrime known as “digital arrest fraud.” The 62-year-old lost over Rs 2.5 crore after fraudsters, posing as police officials, threatened him with fabricated criminal charges and coerced him into transferring his savings.

Fraudsters alleged Aadhaar misuse in money laundering

The victim first received a call from a man claiming to be a police officer, who alleged that his phone number linked to his Aadhaar was used in a money laundering case involving an airline company. The caller claimed that multiple bank accounts were seized in connection with the case, one of which was allegedly in the victim’s name and linked to transactions worth Rs 55 lakh.

Video call intimidation and threats of arrest

To intensify pressure, the fraudsters made a video call, showing a fake arrest warrant against the victim and his family. They threatened him with more than three years of imprisonment for alleged money laundering. Despite his denials, the cyber criminals warned him not to disclose the matter to anyone and intimidated him with dire consequences if he failed to cooperate.

Victim transfers life savings under fear

Frightened by the threats and believing the call to be genuine, the retired employee followed instructions and transferred over Rs 2.5 crore to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. It was only after reading about similar scams that he realised he had been duped. He then approached the Vizag cyber crime police and filed a complaint.

Senior citizens emerging as prime targets

According to Inspector K Bhavani Prasad of the Vizag Cyber Crime Police Station, senior citizens are increasingly becoming targets of “digital arrest” scams. Many victims, he noted, either fail to report the crime due to shame or fear, or suffer emotional distress and depression after losing their life’s earnings.

"Fraudsters create fear, confusion and urgency among senior citizens in the name of digital arrests to loot their hard-earned money," Inspector Prasad said. He added that the police are actively working on awareness campaigns to educate elderly citizens about digital arrest and investment frauds.