A 78-year-old retired senior banker from Pune has been defrauded of a staggering Rs 63.4 lakh in a sophisticated cybercrime that exploited fears of arrest in connection with an international human trafficking racket. The elaborate scam, which unfolded over several days, involved fraudsters impersonating high-ranking police and government officials to place the victim under a terrifying 'digital arrest'.
The Anatomy of a Sophisticated Scam
The ordeal began on November 26, when the senior citizen received a video call from a person claiming to be Inspector Kuldeep Singh from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The imposter informed the retired banker that his name had surfaced in serious investigations related to human trafficking and money laundering. To add credibility, the fraudsters followed up with a counterfeit notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
This fake notice alleged that the complainant had connections with Sadakat Khan, a key figure arrested last year by Telangana Police for his involvement in a major human trafficking operation in Cambodia. The racket lured Indian youth with fake job promises and later forced them into cybercrime activities.
The 'Digital Arrest' and Financial Drain
Following the initial contact, a group of criminals posing as officials from the ED and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed the victim that he was under 'digital arrest' and faced potential imprisonment due to his alleged links to Khan. Under this guise of legal threat, they extracted his personal and financial details.
Between November 26 and December 1, the fraudsters manipulated the retired banker into transferring his life savings. They convinced him that moving Rs 63.4 lakh to specified 'government accounts' for verification was necessary to clear his name from the fabricated case. The scammers promised the money would be refunded within 30 minutes after the verification process. The victim made two transactions, sending the enormous sum to mule accounts controlled by the criminals.
Aftermath and a Growing National Concern
When the promised refund never materialized, the victim grew suspicious. After consulting a lawyer friend, he realized he had been cheated and subsequently filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the cyber crime police station in Pune.
This case is not an isolated incident but part of a dangerous national trend. Cybercriminals are increasingly using social engineering tactics, impersonating authority figures to instill fear and extract money. They have used deepfake videos of celebrities like Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and forged documents with signatures of high-profile individuals such as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Despite widespread awareness campaigns, cases of digital arrest, online extortion, and blackmail continue to rise. As highlighted even by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these scams often involve sophisticated cross-border networks. The illicit funds are typically funneled through layers of domestic mule accounts before being moved overseas, often via cryptocurrency, making recovery extremely difficult.
Authorities urge citizens to be vigilant and verify any unsolicited communication claiming to be from law enforcement or government agencies directly through official channels.
