Panaji: The Goa Police's cybercrime cell has arrested a man from Maharashtra in connection with a Rs 14 lakh digital arrest scam that targeted a woman from Caranzalem. Police said the accused allegedly impersonated officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to defraud the victim.
Based on the woman's complaint, the cybercrime cell registered an FIR and launched an investigation. SP Cybercrime Raju Raut Desai stated that the accused informed the complainant that a SIM card allegedly issued in her name in Bengaluru, along with her Aadhaar and ATM card details, was linked to a human trafficking case. The woman was told she was under “digital arrest” and was pressured into transferring Rs 14 lakh to settle the matter.
“The accused persons cheated the complainant by impersonation using computer resources,” Desai said. Police traced the suspect to Satara in Maharashtra, identifying him as Yogesh Kantilal Shah, aged 45, who was subsequently arrested. Investigations revealed that the Rs 14 lakh was transferred to Shah’s bank account and later routed to multiple accounts linked to his associates.
Further analysis showed that the same bank account was connected to other cyber fraud cases in West Bengal and Goa, involving a total fraud amount of Rs 65 lakh, Desai added. The accused was produced before the court, and police custody was obtained.
