SHOCKING! Noida family held under ‘digital arrest’ for 5 days, loses Rs 1 crore to cyber fraud

A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light where a family was tricked into paying over Rs 1.10 crore after being kept under ‘digital arrest’ for five days. The fraudsters posed as government officials and scared them into making payments, police said on Monday.

What is 'Digital Arrest'?
‘Digital arrest’ is a new kind of cyber scam where fraudsters pretend to be officers from law enforcement agencies like the CBI or customs department. They threaten victims by making video calls and falsely claim that international parcels in their name contain banned drugs. Scared of getting arrested, victims end up paying large amounts of money to the scammers.

How the Fraud Happened
According to the police, the victim, Chandrabhan Paliwal, received a call on February 1 from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and warned him that his SIM card would be blocked.

After a few minutes, another person contacted Paliwal and said that his case had been transferred to Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch. Soon after, a fraudster pretending to be an IPS officer made a video call from Mumbai’s Kolava Police Station, Deputy Commissioner of Police Preeti Yadav said.

The fake officer falsely accused Paliwal of extorting money and claimed that 24 cases were registered against him in different locations. The fraudsters even told him that the CBI was investigating a money laundering case against him.

Family Also Trapped
Not only Chandrabhan Paliwal, but his wife and daughter also became victims. They received similar video calls, where they were threatened with arrest if they did not pay the demanded amount.

Money Lost and Investigation
Out of fear, Paliwal transferred Rs 1.10 crore to the fraudsters over five days. After realizing the scam, he approached the police. A case has been registered, and an investigation is ongoing to track down the criminals.

The police have warned people to be cautious of such scams and to verify any suspicious calls from unknown numbers before taking action.