Bengaluru Cyber Fraud: 94-Year-Old Researcher Loses 4.9 Crore in Digital Arrest Scam

Bengaluru: A 94-year-old man lost ₹4.9 crore in a ‘digital arrest’ scam where fraudsters posed as CBI officers. Threatened with a fake case, he was isolated and forced to transfer money in stages.

Bengaluru: Just when we thought we'd heard it all, another shocking 'digital arrest' scam has hit Bengaluru. Before the city could even forget the case of a Belagavi businessman who lost ₹15 crore, a 94-year-old senior researcher has been duped of ₹4.9 crore. Scammers posing as CBI and Ballari police officers put him under a fake 'digital arrest' and looted the money. The incident was reported late but has sent shockwaves across the city.

The senior citizen, who lives in an apartment near Victoria Road, has filed a complaint with the Central Division Cyber Police Station. Officials said the fraudsters threatened him with a fake human trafficking case to extort the money.

This incident comes close on the heels of another major cyber fraud where scammers, pretending to be investigating a money laundering case, cheated a Belagavi-based businessman of a whopping ₹15 crore. It's clear that senior citizens are becoming a prime target for these online crooks.

Here's How the Scam Unfolded:

The victim, a senior researcher, lives with his wife. On February 12, an unknown person called his landline. The caller introduced himself as a BESCOM employee and dropped a bombshell: a human trafficking case had been filed against the researcher at the Ballari police station. He said a police inspector would call soon and then hung up.

A little while later, another man named Sandeep Rao called from the mobile number 70223200069. He claimed to be a CBI officer and said the case was being transferred to the CBI. He then asked the victim to send his Aadhaar card details via WhatsApp. After receiving the details, he sent a fake FIR copy on WhatsApp to make it look real.

The scam didn't stop there. The victim then received a video call from multiple WhatsApp numbers (+9384538542, +8790619580, +8438454683, 9652706938, 8945570794). A man in a police-like uniform, claiming to be a CBI officer, was on the other side. This is all detailed in the police complaint.

₹4.9 Crore Looted in Stages!

The scammer on the video call told the researcher, "You are under digital arrest. You cannot speak to anyone." He also ordered the victim to reply to a WhatsApp message every three hours to confirm he was following the rules. The fraudster then told him that the case was very serious and demanded money to have his name removed from the investigation. Terrified by the threats, the senior citizen transferred a total of ₹4.9 crore in multiple transactions.

A Quick Look at the Fraudsters' Playbook:

- On Feb 12, an unknown person called the senior researcher's landline.
- He posed as a BESCOM employee and mentioned a fake case in Ballari.
- He said a police inspector would call, then disconnected.
- Soon after, 'Sandeep Rao' called, claiming to be from the CBI.
- He threatened the victim with 'digital arrest' and ordered him not to talk to anyone.
- He demanded a reply on WhatsApp every three hours.
- Scared and isolated, the elderly man was forced to pay ₹4.9 crore in stages.