Two Men Held For Duping Woman Of Rs 1.95 Crore In Digital Arrest Fraud
The accused operated multiple mule bank accounts to receive the loot, which was later routed through hawala channels to Dubai-based cyber fraudsters: Deputy commissioner of police V. Aravind Babu
HYDERABAD: What began as a series of threatening phone calls turned into a nightmare for a woman, who was cheated of ₹1.95 crore in a fake “digital arrest” scam, leading police on Monday to arrest two men from Gujarat in the case.
Cybercrime police said the accused operated multiple mule bank accounts to receive the loot, which was later routed through hawala channels to Dubai-based cyber fraudsters, deputy commissioner of police V. Aravind Babu said in a release.
Police said the accused are repeat cyber offenders, with bank accounts linked to them surfacing in at least 22 cybercrime cases.
In her complaint filed on December 13, the victim said fraudsters trapped her in a fake “digital arrest” by repeatedly calling her and posing as officials from government and telecom departments.
The callers falsely accused her husband of serious offences and threatened immediate arrest, plunging her into fear and panic. Using staged calls and multiple fake identities, the fraudsters then directed her to transfer money under the guise of currency verification, case inquiry and clearance procedures.
Believing their claims and acting under pressure, the woman transferred a total of Rs 1.95 crore through RTGS from her bank accounts to accounts provided by the fraudsters, police said.
Based on the complaint, cybercrime police registered a case and arrested the two men, who have been named as the third and fourth accused in the case.
Police said the third accused helped open mule bank accounts for fraudulent activities and assisted in withdrawing the money, earning a 15 per cent commission on the amounts routed through the accounts under his control.
The fourth accused allegedly acted on instructions from higher-level operators, managed mule accounts and ensured the transfer of funds to overseas fraudsters through hawala networks. Two mobile phones used in the commission of the crime were seized from the accused.
