A 64-year-old man from Thane, Maharashtra, fell victim to a sophisticated digital arrest scam, losing nearly £28,000 after fraudsters posing as police officers made false accusations of money laundering and terrorism via WhatsApp.
Key Points
- A 64-year-old man in Thane was allegedly scammed out of approximately £28,000 in a digital arrest scam.
- The scam involved WhatsApp calls from individuals posing as police officers, falsely accusing the victim of money laundering and terrorist links.
- The victim was coerced into transferring money to various bank accounts under the guise of 'verification and investigation purposes'.
- Police have registered a case and are investigating the scam, tracing the accused and analysing digital evidence.
A 64-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly duped of nearly Rs 28 lakh in a digital arrest scam, police said on Friday.
The complainant, a resident of Ronak City in Kalyan West, alleged that between April 1 and April 7, he received multiple WhatsApp video and audio calls from unknown persons, including from international numbers, the police said.
"The callers introduced themselves as police officials and claimed that the complainant's bank accounts were linked to a money laundering case and terrorist activities," said an official from Khadakpada police station.
Details of the Scam
The accused persons threatened to "arrest" the senior citizen and coerced him into transferring money for "verification and investigation purposes", the official said.
Under pressure and fear, the man transferred Rs 27.9 lakh to bank accounts provided by the accused during the course of the calls, police said. The man later realised that he had been defrauded. On his complaint, the police registered a case on Wednesday.
Police Investigation
"An investigation is underway to trace the accused persons and identify the bank accounts used in the fraud. We are also analysing call data records and digital evidence," the investigating officer said.
