HYDERABAD: A 71-year-old retired employee from Nizampet was duped of Rs 43.8 lakh after fraudsters kept him under ‘digital arrest’ for over 10 days by posing as officials of central agencies.
On March 31, the complainant received a WhatsApp message from a person identifying himself as Sanjay, who claimed that the victim’s SIM card was being misused for terrorist activities. The following day, he received another call and was asked to speak with someone posing as an NIA official. During the call, he was falsely accused of involvement in terror funding. The caller claimed that during a CBI raid on a person named Om Abdul Salam, 247 debit cards were seized, one of which allegedly belonged to the victim and was linked to illegal transactions of Rs 2 crore.
Though the complainant denied the allegations, the fraudsters continued to threaten him and asked him to appear before CBI officials in Mumbai. When he said he could not travel due to health reasons, they introduced a ‘digital verification’ process.
Under continuous pressure and fear of arrest, the victim was instructed to transfer money to prove his innocence. He deposited Rs 43.8 lakh through a cheque after being assured that the amount would be refunded once the verification was completed. The fraudsters even provided fake receipts.
Police said the accused maintained constant control over the victim by calling frequently, tracking his location and asking for updates every two hours. He was instructed to maintain ‘national secrecy’ and not inform anyone, including his family. He was also made to remain isolated and attend video calls staged with a fake background resembling a CBI office.
When he realised he had been cheated, he approached the Cyberabad cybercrime police. A case has been registered, and the investigation is underway.