Cyber Bureau Recovers Rs 85.20 L of Elder in ‘Digital Arrest’
Believing the caller to be a genuine government official, the victim transferred Rs 85.20 lakh to a specified bank account after being told the money was required for RBI verification.
Hyderabad:Timely intervention by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) helped an 85-year-old retired bank employee from Neredmet recover and secure the entire Rs 85.20 lakh he transferred to fraudsters in a sophisticated digital arrest scam.
According to the TGCSB, the victim was contacted on August 21 by a fraudster impersonating a National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer. Speaking in Telugu and appearing on a video call in uniform, the caller falsely claimed that the victim’s Aadhaar details have been misused by a person named Abdul Salam to open bank accounts and carry out fraudulent transactions, worth around Rs 2.50 crore in Karnataka and Kerala.
The fraudster even threatened the elderly man with serious legal consequences and instructed him not to speak to anyone or disclose the matter to anybody including his family or friends. He was warned that revealing the investigation would lead to police personnel visiting his residence, causing social embarrassment and further action in legal ways.
Believing the caller to be a genuine government official, the victim transferred Rs 85.20 lakh to a specified bank account after being told the money was required for RBI verification. The fraudster assured him that the amount would be refunded after the verification process. But when another Rs 42 lakh was demanded, the victim became suspicious and approached his bank. Bank officials informed him that he was likely being targeted in a cyber fraud.
The victim immediately lodged a complaint through the national cybercrime reporting portal. TGCSB officers swiftly traced the money trail and froze the suspect’s account maintained with IDFC Bank’s Coimbatore branch, securing the entire Rs 85.20 lakh intact transferred by the victim. The complaint was later transferred to the CCPS, Malkajgiri, for further legal action.
TGCSB director Shikha Goel cautioned citizens that no genuine police, NIA, CBI or RBI official will ask people to transfer money for verification, investigation or security purposes. Citizens were advised to report financial cyber fraud immediately by calling 1930 or through the national cybercrime reporting portal, as prompt reporting can help authorities freeze defrauded funds.
