IT worker kept under ‘digital arrest’ in Telangana: Know how things are evolving

The 44-year-old IT worker, who was placed under “digital arrest” by fraudsters, managed to escape without losing money with the help of the police. PTI reported that the employee was kept under “digital arrest” for almost 30 hours in a fake money laundering case.

The incident occurred in the early hours of October 26 and continued until October 27. The fraudsters posed as Mumbai Police and made video and voice calls to the police through an instant messaging app. The report, based on police officials, stated that the fraudsters instructed the victim not to interrupt the conversation.

They threatened to arrest him in the money laundering case and asked ₹40 lakhs for withdrawal.

The victim informed the Hyderabad Cyber ​​Crime Police Station only after the call from the fraudsters was dropped on the morning of October 27. The police informed him about the fraud.

On the night of October 25, the victim received text messages saying that his mobile number and Aadhaar number were linked to a money laundering case filed in Mumbai. But he did not pay attention to such messages.

At 3 am on October 26, the scammers made the Mumbai Police make an audio and video call to him. They ordered him to stay on the call until they asked him to disconnect as part of verification. They also instructed him not to tell anyone about this incident, including his family. The report stated that he then went to a room in his home.

The fraudsters also sent fake documents like FIR, arrest warrant and court petition which scared him. They also promised that his name would be cleared from the case after he paid the requested money.

When asked about his bank accounts, he explained that he had a total of money. ₹25 lakhs in FDs and savings accounts. It was stated that after receiving information about his bank accounts, the fraudsters threatened to move to a hotel, claiming that the police would come to pick him up from his home.

After this, the victim traveled 15 kilometers towards Ameerpet area and settled in a room. The report stated that the scammers did not allow the call to be interrupted while driving. They asked him to pay RTGS for his release.

The scam call went out at 4am on October 27 and the victim reached out to the Cyber ​​Crime Police. The police asked him to block the scam number and talked to him for an hour to prevent the victim from taking any extreme step.

However, the report stated that the victim did not file any complaint as he did not lose any money.

India’s cybersecurity agency CERT has shared a list of more than a dozen ways, including “digital arrest”, of online scams carried out by fraudsters in the country.

The Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) advisory stated that “digital arrest” is an online scam. In a “digital arrest,” victims receive a phone call, email, or message claiming that they are under investigation for illegal activity.