Ahmedabad, May 13: The Cyber Crime Branch of Ahmedabad has apprehended two members of an interstate cyber fraud gang involved in a “Digital Arrest” scam. This scheme defrauded an elderly woman of ₹55.50 lakhs. The accused used fake identities and forged legal documents to intimidate the victim into transferring money.
According to police, the case has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.
The complainant was contacted via a WhatsApp video call, where the callers introduced themselves as ‘Ranveer Singh’ from the Colaba Police Station in Mumbai. They falsely claimed that the woman was implicated in a fraud case and that a warrant had been issued against her.
Subsequently, the accused misled her into believing she was under “Digital Arrest” and would be presented in court for a month. To instill fear, they sent fake FIRs, counterfeit letters from the Ministry of Finance, and documents purportedly from the Supreme Court.
Police revealed that the scammers obtained the victim’s bank details under the pretext of verifying her assets, coercing her into transferring money and taking out a gold loan. In total, ₹55,50,094 was siphoned off through various online transactions.
An official from the Cyber Crime Branch stated that the accused created false identities in the name of law enforcement agencies to intimidate the victim and extort money under mental duress.
The investigation uncovered that the fraud was orchestrated through an organized network. The suspects, Sonu Kumar from Gurugram and Pradeep Kumar from the Kapashera area of Delhi, were arrested.
Both individuals had met with an accomplice named Waseem Khan at a hotel in Delhi to strategize the financial transactions related to the scam, during which they executed transactions worth crores.
The investigation also revealed multiple cyber complaints against bank accounts linked to this gang across Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
Police stated that this gang used the names of police and central agencies to instill fear of fake arrests, thereby defrauding individuals.
Authorities have warned the public that no police or investigative agency conducts arrests via video calls or requests OTPs, PINs, or online transactions. They also advised against installing apps at the request of unknown individuals.
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My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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