Attentive Neighbour Foils Senior Citizens’ Digital Arrest
He urged the public, especially retired individuals, to report any suspicious calls to local police or dial 112
VIJAYAWADA: An attempt to digitally arrest a retired employee Pedireddy Harinath and his wife in Eedepalli area of Machilipatnam has been foiled due to the vigilance of a neighbour and Chilikalapudi circle inspector Shaik Abdul Nabi.
Trouble began when Harinath received a video call from an unidentified number. A man, claiming to be an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer from Pune, said he has an arrest warrant from CBI to arrest Harinath. The caller said four terrorists have been apprehended with Harinath's ATM card and threatened him with digital arrest.
The scammer put immense psychological pressure on Harinath for hours. However, Harinath’s tenant Mani noticed the unusual behaviour. Upon hearing about the digital arrest, Mani immediately informed the Chilikalapudi police.
Circle inspector Abdul Nabi swiftly arrived at the scene, reassuring the elderly couple. When Abdul Nabi engaged the scammer through the video call, the con artist hung.
The circle inspector said the term “digital arrest” has no basis in law but a tactic by cybercriminals. He urged the public, especially retired individuals, to report any suspicious calls to local police or dial 112.
