Pramesh S Jain
Three persons including two senior citizens kept under digital arrest by cyber frauds who posing as officials of Mumbai police threatened them with drug smuggling and money laundering before robbing a total of Rs.1.8 crore from them .
The incidents have been reported in South and Southeast police division cyber crime police which occurred between Monday to Thursday.
The first case victim a 70-year-old woman residing in Padmanabha Nagar.
According to her complaint,she got a call from a person claiming to be from a international courier agency informing that there was a parcel in her name with banned items and hence the case has been referred to CBI.
Few minutes later she gets a call from another number and the person claiming to be from CBI said that her personal information has been misused for the drug smuggling and money laundering case,which is being probed .
Charming her with talks and assured to help her out,the accused accessed to her bank accounts on the pretext of verification and transferred all the saving from her account amounting to Rs.89 lakh.
Similarly,a 48-year-old,private firm employee from HSR Layout,complained to the Southeast Division cyber crime police that the fraudsters posing as Mumbai police stated that there was a parcel containing 200 grams of MDMA and four passports destined to Thailand from Mumbai from his name .
The victim further said that the accused kept him under digital arrest for four days between Aug 14 to Aug 18, accessed his bank accounts demanding 98 percent of the savings should be transferred to them for verification,which will be reverted back after investigations.
He followed the instructions and transferred a total of Rs.10,01,253 and waited for two days to back him money before realising that he has been duped.
Based on the complaint filed on Tuesday,the police are now trying to track down the accused through money transactions.
In the third case too,the accused cheated a 93-year-old,from JP Nagar 6th phase on Monday. Claiming to the police from Mumbai crime branch,the accused threatened to arrest him under money laundering case which he has been booked,demanded bank details for verification.
Scared the victim shared all the personal details with the accused following which accused transferred Rs.37 lakh,Rs.13 lakh and Rs.34 lakh from three different bank accounts which was his life saving amount.They assured to return after verification and escaped .
The police advised people and reiterated that there is no provision by any enforcement agency for Digital Arrest and people should not be scared of such calls .
“No police is authorised to call in person and ask for the personal information and bank details“.
The police further advised the people not to entertain such calls and report to the 1930 or 112 to avoid harassment.
