New Delhi: A shocking case of cyber fraud has emerged from Pitampura, where a 78-year-old man lost a staggering Rs 2.2 crore. Fraudsters posing as police officers placed him under a so-called 'digital' arrest for ten days. The Delhi Police have now arrested five individuals in connection with this elaborate scam.
How the Scam Unfolded
The elderly complainant received a call from a person identifying himself as Sumit Mishra. This caller claimed to be from the Lucknow Police headquarters. He informed the victim that two arrest warrants had been issued against him in a serious money laundering case.
Escalation of Threats and Intimidation
Soon after, another caller named Prem Kumar Gautam contacted the man. Gautam alleged that the victim's Aadhaar card had been misused. He then demanded a full disclosure of all the complainant's assets. This included detailed information about his cash holdings and property.
The fraudsters took control by placing the senior citizen under constant WhatsApp video surveillance. They instructed him not to leave his house or contact anyone. To make the threat seem more real, the accused created a fake CBI office setup. They even deployed an individual who posed as a lawyer to further intimidate the victim.
The Financial Drain
Under this intense pressure and fear, the complainant was coerced into transferring money. Between November 26 and December 4 of last year, he transferred a total of Rs 2,19,18,000. The money was sent to multiple bank accounts as directed by the scammers.
Police Action and Arrests
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar provided details on the investigation. Following coordinated raids across several cities, the police arrested five accused. The cities targeted included Jabalpur, Indore, Barwani, Prayagraj, Jhansi, and Lucknow.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Dipesh Patidar, aged 30
- Anshul Rathod, aged 28
- Shyam Babu Gupta, aged 36
- Raghvendra Verma, aged 25
- Devesh Singh, aged 25
Police said these men were responsible for supplying the mule bank accounts. These accounts were used to route and hide the defrauded money. The investigation is ongoing to uncover more details and possibly more individuals involved in the racket.
This case highlights the sophisticated methods used by cyber criminals to target vulnerable citizens. It serves as a stark warning about the dangers of such impersonation scams.
