Software engineer in Bengaluru loses Rs 11.8 crore to 'digital arrest' scam

Bengaluru: A 39-year-old software engineer became a victim to a "digital arrest" scam and lost Rs 11.8 crore when fraudsters impersonating police officials claimed that his Aadhaar card was being misused to open bank accounts for money laundering, police said on Monday.

The fraud occurred between November 25 and December 12, they said.

According to police, in his complaint, the victim alleged that on November 11, he received a call from a person who claimed to be an officer of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The alleged officer claimed that his SIM card, which was linked to the Aadhaar card, was used for illegal advertisements and harassment messages.

The fraudster further alleged that a case was registered in connection with this in Mumbai's Colaba Cyber Police Station.

Later, he got a call from a person claiming to be a police officer alleging that his Aadhaar details were being misused to open bank accounts for money laundering, the FIR stated.

The fraudster warned him to keep the matter confidential and also allegedly threatened him that if he did not cooperate with the virtual investigation, he would be physically arrested.

Then, he also got a call from a person asking him to download the Skype app following which a man, allegedly dressed in Mumbai police uniform video-called him and claimed that a businessman had opened a bank account using his Aadhaar to conduct transactions worth Rs 6 crore, the FIR further stated.

However, on November 25, another man in police uniform called him over Skype and alleged that his case was being heard in the top court and threatened to arrest his family if he did not comply, according to the complainant.

Citing a fake Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, the fraudsters allegedly asked him to transfer funds to certain accounts on the pretext of "verification purposes" or face legal consequences.

According to the FIR, the victim transferred a total sum of Rs 11.8 crore in multiple transactions to various bank accounts over a period of time, fearing arrest. However, when they started demanding for more money, the victim realised that he had fallen prey to fraudsters and lodged a complaint with the police.

A case has been registered under the IT Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and cheating by impersonation, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.