Retired WCL employee in Nagpur loses Rs 45.20 lakh to 'digital arrest' fraud

Cyber criminals have begun a new way of cheating people in the name of "digital arrest". Posing as police officers, they frighten people with the threat of arrest and take away their hard-earned savings. One such shocking case has come to light in Nagpur, where a 70-year-old man retired from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) was cheated of Rs 45.20 lakh.

According to the information available, Gopal Mandlik Sonekar (70), who lives at Lahanoji Baba Layout, Ring Road, in the Mankapur area, is retired from WCL. On October 31, he began receiving calls on his mobile phone from unknown numbers. The accused then also made a video call to him on WhatsApp. The callers began speaking to him, saying they were senior officers of the Mumbai and Delhi police.

The fraudsters told Sonekar that an illegal SIM card had been obtained using his Aadhaar card. He was also told that anti-social elements were using that SIM card to threaten others. Further, the accused alleged suspicious money laundering through his bank account. Posing as police officers, they frightened the senior citizen so much that he came completely under pressure.

The accused threatened Sonekar with alleged legal action and arrest. He was told that if he wanted to prove his innocence in the case and avoid action, he would have to deposit all his savings in an official security account of the RBI. The fraudsters also assured him that the money would be returned after it had been checked and verified.

Convincing him that they were police officers, the accused drew the senior citizen fully into their trap. Out of fear of arrest and under mental pressure, Sonekar sent a total of Rs 45.20 lakh from his savings account by RTGS to the bank accounts they specified.

After he sent the large sum, the cyber criminals showed their true colours. As soon as the money reached the accounts, the accused switched off their mobile numbers and cut off contact. When he could not reach them for a long time, Sonekar realised he had been cheated. He then went to the cyber cell and lodged a complaint.

On the basis of the complaint, the cyber police have registered a case against the accused under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act (IT Act) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and have begun an investigation.

People need to be wary of gangs that pose as police officers and intimidate victims. Neither the police nor any government agency "digitally arrests" anyone on a video call, nor do they ask anyone to deposit money in any RBI account in the name of an investigation. Do not be afraid of such phone or video calls. Do not give bank details, OTPs or personal documents to unknown persons. Report suspicious calls immediately to the police or to the cyber helpline 1930.