Sadly, another senior citizen fell prey to the now common digital arrest scam. In Hyderabad, one retired businessman was duped of ₹7.12 crore after some fraudsters digitally arrested him in a fake drug trafficking and passports case to extort the money.
This was their modus operandi: He received a WhatsApp call from a person named Sunil Sharma from Blue Dart customer care, who told him that a parcel was sent in his name from Mumbai to Bangkok that carried a laptop, five passports, 200 grams of MDMA, and a narcotic drug. After some time, he received another call -- this time from an alleged Mumbai crime branch officer who said that based on the evidence, he faced multiple criminal charges.
Then he digitally arrested him and forced him to transfer ₹7.12 crore in a series of RTGS transactions. When they asked for another 1.2 crore to close the case, he got suspicious and filed a police complaint.
Something similar took place in Bengaluru when a 57-year-old woman was defrauded of a whopping ₹32 crore by criminals who kept her under digital arrest for nearly six months.
These are some of the steps which one can take to prevent the occurrence of digital arrest.
How to stay alert to keep digital arrest fraud at bay
I. Asking to transfer money is a big red flag: No law authorises law enforcement agencies to transfer your money to another account. Even if a money laundering investigation happens, agencies can authorise your bank to lock the withdrawals, but they won't ask you to transfer your funds to another account. So this instruction of ‘money transfer’ is the first big red flag.
II. Why to get scared in the first place: In the above case, the victim got scared because he was told that he would be arrested in serious cases of drugs and trafficking. But when you are clean and innocent, why do you need to be scared of any frivolous claims made by anyone?
III. Modus operandi is the same: In almost all the cases of digital arrest, the modus operandi is the same. There would be a call from a courier company person, followed by a video call with ‘cop’. Then there would be an ‘arrest’, which is virtually followed by the request to show bank statements. Eventually, there would be an instruction to transfer money. If you are aware of this modus operandi, you can easily spot the fraudsters.
IV. Discuss with someone you know: First and foremost, if you get suspicious of any caller's authenticity, you must discuss with someone in your family, or with friends if there is no one at home. There is no reason to keep it under wraps, regardless of threats given by the caller. Even in the case of a genuine arrest, the family is duly informed so that they can arrange for legal help, bail, etc.
V. Legal or expert advice: It is also recommended to seek legal advice if you feel doubtful. Seeking expert legal advice regardless of the severity of the crime is your constitutional right. No one can deny it – not even the crime enforcement agencies.
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