CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing recently intervened to rescue a city-based doctor who had fallen prey to an elaborate ‘digital arrest’ scam and had already lost Rs 2.9 crore to international cyber fraudsters, an official release stated on Friday.
The incident came to light after the State Cyber Command Centre, led by Superintendent of Police Shahnaz Illyas, identified two victims, one in Tamil Nadu and another in Jharkhand, during routine cyber surveillance. Jharkhand police were immediately alerted, while a Cyber Crime Police team was rushed to the Tamil Nadu victim’s residence.
However, the victim, still under the psychological grip of the scam, refused to open the door, believing he was under digital arrest.
After nearly two hours of continuous counselling, he realised he had been defrauded, police said. A formal complaint has since been registered, and an investigation is under way.
According to the doctor, he received a call on June 27, purportedly from the Mumbai Cyber Crime Police, accusing him of cyber fraud and threatening arrest unless he transferred large sums of money.