Retired WCL employee, 70, loses Rs 45.2 lakh to fake police 'digital arrest' scam in Nagpur

Nagpur: Cyber fraudsters posing as police officers and threatening a "digital arrest" have cheated a 70-year-old retired man of Rs 45 lakh 20 thousand.

The accused called the man on WhatsApp, claimed to be police officers and trapped him by instilling fear of arrest. The victim lives in Lahanoji Baba Layout on Ring Road in Mankapur. He is a retired employee of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL).

The accused told him that a fake SIM card had been bought using his Aadhaar card. They said the SIM was being used to threaten people and carry out criminal activities. They also claimed that illegal transactions were taking place through his bank account.

The accused assured the man that they would save him from arrest and keep safe the lifetime's earnings in his bank account. He was kept under constant mental pressure through fear of police action and the prospect of being caught in legal trouble. Falling for the fraudsters' ploy, he transferred Rs 45 lakh 20 thousand to a bank account given by the accused. As soon as they received the money, the cyber criminals cut off contact.

On realising that he had been defrauded of lakhs of rupees, the victim filed a complaint at the cyber police station. Police have registered a case against unknown accused under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Police are investigating the accused's mobile numbers and the bank accounts to which the money was transferred.