Gandhinagar, Jul 28 (PTI) A Gandhinagar-based senior citizen fell prey to machinations of cyber fraudsters who threatened him with “digital arrest” for nearly three months and forced him to pay them Rs 19.24 crore which was deposited in more than 30 bank accounts, police said on Monday.
Police have arrested a 30-year-old businessman from Surat in whose bank account Rs 1 crore of the duped money was transferred, Superintendent of Police, CID (Crime), Gandhinagar, Dharmendra Sharma said.
According to police, the ordeal of the victim (age not disclosed) started in March and went on for nearly three months during which he was threatened with “digital arrest”, a fraudulent tactic used by cyber thugs to falsely accuse individuals of breaking the law, by implicating him in a money laundering case.
“A senior citizen became a victim of cyber fraud. Cyber fraudsters gave him a call in March and told him that his mobile number was in their data, and something wrong was being spread through the mobile phone,” Sharma said.
Cyber fraudsters threatened to “arrest” him soon. To avoid action, they forced him to pay up Rs 19.24 crore in instalments for nearly three months during which period he was kept in fear of arrest, the police officer informed.
The money transferred by the victim was deposited in over 30 bank accounts, and the police were trying to identify their holders. Those who called up the victim and threatened him are being identified in ongoing investigation, the SP said.
The online criminals followed a set modus operandi — that of threat on false pretext and then kept him in fear of arrest or the arrest of his family members if he failed to pay the money demanded by them, Sharma explained.
The CID, in a press release, informed that a man identified as Lalji Baldaniya (30), engaged in private business, was arrested from Surat for owning one of the more than 30 bank accounts in which the money was transferred in the case of ‘digital arrest”.
Baldaniya’s bank account was used to transfer Rs 1 crore of the cheated money, it said.
When questioned, the accused said he had met cyber fraudsters at Noida in Uttar Pradesh and allowed them to use his bank account, registered in the name of Murlidhar Manufacturing, for transfer of the money extorted from the senior citizen, said the release.
Under “digital arrest”, scammers pose as officials from organizations such as customs, income tax department, central investigative agencies and intimidate victims into paying money. PTI COR KA PD RSY
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