Mangaluru | A 61-year-old man from Mangaluru was allegedly cheated of Rs 2.07 crore by cyber fraudsters who posed as officials of central investigative agencies in a “digital arrest” scam, police said on Sunday.
According to the complaint, the man received a phone call on March 31 from an unidentified person claiming to be an officer from the “National Data Protection Centre,” officials said.
The caller claimed that the victim’s identity documents had been misused to procure a SIM card in Mumbai, which was being used for illegal activities, including sending threatening messages and involvement in drug trafficking.
The man was further told that multiple FIRs had been registered against him at a Mumbai police station and that officials from agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would initiate an inquiry.
Subsequently, he received WhatsApp calls from individuals identifying themselves as senior officers, who allegedly threatened him with arrest and legal action, police said.
Fearing prosecution, the man transferred money in multiple instalments between April 7 and April 18 to bank accounts provided by the accused. The total amount transferred was Rs 2.07 crore, they added.
Police said the fraud came to light after the victim realised he had been cheated and filed a complaint at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police station here.
Mangaluru CEN Police are investigating the case.
A “digital arrest” scam is an online fraud in which victims are tricked into transferring money. Scammers impersonate law enforcement officials such as those from the CBI, Income Tax Department or Customs, and intimidate victims with false allegations of illegal activity while pressuring them to make payments.
