Retired BARC employee, 79, loses Rs 13.3 lakh in alleged digital arrest fraud in Jogeshwari

Cyber fraudsters have allegedly cheated a 79-year-old retired employee living in Jogeshwari West, Mumbai, of Rs 13.3 lakh. He had retired from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). According to officials, the accused had claimed to be officers of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

North Cyber police said the case began on September 26. On that day, a man who identified himself as Sandeep Roy contacted the senior citizen on WhatsApp. He allegedly told him that his Aadhaar card had been found linked to a money laundering case registered in Nashik.

Police said that, to make his claim appear true, the accused allegedly sent him forged documents bearing the logos of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). An arrest warrant was also sent along with them.

The fraudster then allegedly told the man that his bank deposits, fixed deposits and mutual fund investments would have to be examined. In the name of this verification, he was asked to transfer the money to bank accounts that were specified.

The senior citizen was threatened with arrest and told not to tell anyone. He was allegedly kept under a "digital arrest" in this manner and made to transfer his entire savings through several transactions.

The fraud came to light when the man's wife questioned the transactions. She told her husband that it could be a digital arrest scam. He then realised he had been cheated and filed a complaint on the cyber crime portal.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the North Cyber police station on Monday, November 2. Police have begun an investigation.

No arrest has been reported so far. The allegations remain to be established, and the investigation will determine what actually happened.