HP: Ex-soldier duped of Rs 98 Lakh after being kept under digital arrest for 15 days

Bilaspur: A retired soldier of Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh has been duped of Rs 98 lakh after being kept under 15 days "digital arrest" by the fraudsters, officials said on Friday.

The victim was intimidated by fraudsters posing as fake CBI, RBI and court officials, claiming his involvement in a money laundering case and even fake video calls were used to show fabricated court proceedings, they said.

He was placed under "digital arrest" from December 15 to 30, police said.

An FIR has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Central Division, Mandi, in this regard. The cyber police are gathering facts in this case, an official spokesman said.

According to the complaint, some unknown people contacted the complainant through phone and video calls, identifying themselves as officials from the Department of Telecommunications, CBI, RBI, and the court.

The fraudsters falsely informed him that a fake SIM card had been issued in his name and that he was involved in a money laundering case.

The fraudsters falsely accused the ex-serviceman of money laundering and allegedly kept him under digital arrest for 15 days, he said.

During this time, the fraudsters orchestrated fake court proceedings through video calls and mentally harassed the ex-serviceman, compelling him to deposit money into various bank accounts.

Following this, a fake court hearing was conducted via video call, in which the alleged judge ordered the complainant to deposit his property and money with the court.

The complainant deposited his money into various bank accounts specified by the fraudsters, resulting in a total loss of approximately Rs 98 lakh.

It is alleged that the fraudsters threatened him with an alleged arrest warrant, stating that if he disclosed the matter to anyone, he would never be able to get out of the case and could face a sentence of five to seven years.

The cyber criminals also forced the complainant to delete calls, messages and other digital evidence from their mobile phone.

Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Rohit Malpani has appealed to the public to be vigilant against such calls, video calls, or WhatsApp messages and not to share their bank account details, OTPs, or personal information with anyone under any circumstances and report any suspicious calls immediately to the nearest police station or the cyber helpline.