HYDERABAD: An 81-year-old retired businessman from Somajiguda lost Rs 7.12 crore after falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ fraud, in which scammers falsely accused him of involvement in a drug trafficking racket and extorted money in the name of verification.
According to the complaint, the victim received a WhatsApp call on October 27 from a person identifying himself as Sunil Sharma from Blue Dart Customer Care. The caller claimed that a parcel sent by the victim from Mumbai to Bangkok contained a laptop, five passports, 200 grams of MDMA and other items.
When the victim denied the allegation, he was asked to obtain a police clearance certificate. Soon after, he received another call from a person posing as an official from Bombay police, who accused him of involvement in extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorist activities.
The caller warned him not to disclose the matter to family members, friends, bankers or legal advisors and pressured him to verify his bank accounts and financial details, threatening arrest if he failed to cooperate. Over nearly two months, the fraudsters collected money in the name of verification.
The victim transferred the amount in six transactions, losing a total of `7,12,80,000. He later grew suspicious and realised he had been cheated under the pretext of a digital arrest. He subsequently lodged a complaint with TGCSB. Police registered a case and launched an investigation.