Indore: RRCAT Scientist Loses ₹71.33 Lakhs To Digital Arrest Scam; Conmen Pose As TRAI, CBI, ED Officers

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A scientist of RRCAT was duped of Rs 71.33 lakh through digital arrest, police said on Friday. The accused posed as officers of CBI, ED, TRAI and told him that a mobile SIM card was bought using his identity card and the number was used in money laundering and human trafficking.

The conmen kept the complainant and his wife digitally arrested for six days on the pretext of holding them under digital surveillance and managed to receive money in four bank accounts from the complainant.  

Additional DCP (crime) Rajesh Dandotiya informed Free Press that scientist Anil Kumar has lodged a complaint that he had received a call from a person, who posed himself as an officer from TRAI New Delhi (mobile number 9580754384) on September 1. The caller had informed him that a SIM card in his name had been issued from Delhi on August 18 from which illegal advertisements and texts related to women harassment were being sent.

The person posing as TRAI officer Sushant Kumar sent a complaint number DL1045/0824 to the complainant on his number to gain his trust. The complainant had informed the caller that he never bought any SIM card from Delhi. He informed the caller that someone has misused his Aadhaar card and he wants to lodge a complaint for the same.

Then, the caller forwarded the complainant’s call to another unknown number which was ostensibly that of Cyber ??Crime Delhi (mobile number 8917557283) and the complainant was told that a case of money laundering and human trafficking was registered against him in Delhi Crime Branch and an arrest warrant has also been issued against him.  

Kept on digital surveillance on pretext of investigation

According to the complainant, the copy of the complaint against him was sent by the fake crime branch officer named Rakesh Kumar to the WhatsApp number of the complainant. The conmen informed him that about 300 people have been found to be involved in this case and he is one of them.

The conmen then informed the complainant that because you are a government employee and you appear to be innocent, therefore an appeal will be made to the CBI court not to arrest you and to take your case on priority but you and your wife will be put on digital surveillance. The next day at around 10 am, the fraud CBI officer (number 8979310521) interrogated the complainant and his wife for about 2 hours through video conferencing.

The accused further said that he has taken permission from his senior officer to solve the case on priority on the condition that the complainant and his wife will keep the case confidential, cooperate in the investigation and will be under digital surveillance 24 hours a day because it is a question of lives of 17 children.  

Took information of bank account, mutual fund

The conmen later gathered information of his bank account and balance, mutual funds etc on the pretext of investigation to know whether his bank account was used in money laundering. They had also received the statement of his mutual funds. Meanwhile, the said CBI officer again took their statements on September 4.

He informed the victim that his case is also being investigated by the RBI so he had to deposit money in the bank accounts given by the caller. He had also assured me that his money would be refunded within an hour. He would receive certificates from the CBI and ED after the investigation of his bank account, the complainant said.

When the victim reached the bank, the conmen provided four bank accounts to him and told him to transfer money into them. Thus, the accused received Rs 71.33 lakh from the complainant and the accused informed that he had to get clearance from Dwarkapuri police station. When he reached the police station, he came to know that he was duped by cybercriminals.

After that he lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. On the basis of a complaint received on the portal, the crime branch registered a case under various sections against the accused and started an investigation.