The Setup
It all started on May 5 at 10 a.m., when Rajkumar (name changed), an Indiranagar resident and retired MNC executive, got a call from 8861447031. The caller claimed as a 'FedEx' logistics executive and supplied Rajkumar's Aadhaar and mobile numbers.
He said that a package shipped to Taiwan under Shankar's name contained five passports, a laptop, 3kg of clothing, and 150 grams of MDMA. He forwarded the phone to a "police officer" after claiming a case against him had been filed at Mumbai's Andheri East cyber police station.
The Deception
A man claimed to be Rajesh Pradhan, DCP (Cybercrime), Andheri and informed Shankar that he was under digital arrest until the inquiry was completed. They warned to arrest him if he left his residence and instructed him to isolate himself in a room. Later, they made a video call to him, and Shankar noticed a police station in the backdrop and assumed he was speaking with actual cops.
Pradhan informed Rajkumar that this was a high-profile and sensitive matter involving VIPs. He was told not to mention their call with anybody and threatened with arrest if he did not obey their instructions.
The Money Transfer
The con artist added that they discovered a bank account opened in his name that was being used for money laundering. They allegedly examined the charges against him, which included money laundering, NDPS, and other criminal actions, before offering to assist him.
To protect the account, he was ordered to move the full balance in his bank accounts to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) accounts.
The Aftermath
After promising to repay him after his transactions were verified, they convinced Shankar to send money to their accounts in several transactions.
After transferring Rs 3.8 crore, Rajkumar was promised that the return would be in his account within 30 minutes of verification and the connection was discontinued. Rajkumar only realized he had been duped after the crooks went mute.
The digital arrest is fake: DCP
According to Kuldeep Kumar Jain, DCP (East), Shankar submitted a report on May 13, and they were able to freeze Rs 9 lakh within two days.
A case has been filed under the Information Technology Act and IPC section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).
According to Jain, such claims should not be taken seriously. The police force has no idea of digital arrests or online (virtual) investigations. If you receive such calls, simply disconnect and report them to your nearest police station or the 1930 cyber helpline. If you lose any money, you should contact the police right away. Delays in filing complaints will have an impact on recovery rates.
