A 64-year-old man from Thane was allegedly defrauded of 1.56 crore by cybercriminals using a 'digital arrest' scam, involving forged documents and constant surveillance.
Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable due to their high savings, trust in authorities, and limited familiarity with online frauds.
Kochi city cyber police have recovered over 1 crore stolen from an 81-year-old man through a 'digital arrest' online fraud. The incident occurred in November when the man was defrauded of around 1.30 crore. Police intervention led to the recovery of 1.06 crore from a bank in Jammu and Kashmir.
The agency also ran a parallel investigation into cyber-slavery and the organised digital exploitation networks in Southeast Asia, with slave compounds in Myanmar and neighbouring areas, that are emerging as incubators for the execution of such frauds.
The Supreme Court has directed the CBI to conduct a pan-India investigation into digital arrest scams and questioned the RBI about its lack of AI usage in detecting and freezing accounts used by cybercriminals.
Delhi Police have arrested six individuals linked to interstate cybercrime syndicates involved in digital arrest, fake IPO, and trading scams, recovering millions of rupees.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a suo motu case concerning victims of digital arrest, a growing form of cybercrime where fraudsters impersonate officials to extort money from victims.
Mumbai police have arrested six individuals from Gujarat, dismantling an interstate cyber fraud gang involved in digital arrest scams, including one where a businessman was defrauded of Rs 58 crore.
The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the rising cases of digital arrest cybercrime in India, where fraudsters extort money from victims by posing as law enforcement officials. The court has vowed to deal with such cases with an iron hand and has sought reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CBI.
A BJP MLC in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has filed a complaint alleging he was held under 'digital arrest' by individuals posing as Mumbai ATS officers.
'Digital arrests are the cutting edge of the problem and the most challenging part of the ecosystem right now.'
An 81-year-old businessman in Belagavi, Karnataka, was allegedly defrauded of over 1.5 million in a 'digital arrest scam' after fraudsters posing as CBI officials accused him of financial crimes.
An 81-year-old businessman in Belagavi, Karnataka, was allegedly defrauded of over 15 crore in a 'digital arrest scam' after fraudsters posing as CBI officials accused him of financial crimes.
The advisory depicted the logos of social media platforms like WhatsApp and Skype to showcase that calls for such scams are made using such platforms.
In the latest case, the fraudsters, posing as personnel of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, contacted the businessmen between August 19 to October 8 and claimed his name had cropped up in a case of money laundering.
An 81-year-old businessman in Belagavi, Karnataka, was allegedly defrauded of over Rs 15 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam. Fraudsters posing as CBI officials accused him of financial crimes and coerced him into transferring funds to a 'safe account'.
A 57-year-old woman in Bengaluru was allegedly defrauded of approximately Rs 32 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam. Posing as CBI officers, fraudsters coerced her into sharing financial details and making numerous bank transfers over six months.
The CBI has arrested an Indian national accused of trafficking citizens to cyber scam compounds in Myanmar, where they were forced to participate in cyber fraud.
The Supreme Court is considering entrusting the CBI with the investigation into digital arrest cases, citing the magnitude and pan-India spread of such crimes. The court has sought details of FIRs registered in different states and union territories and is monitoring the progress of the investigation.
The Supreme Court has expressed serious concerns about the rise in digital fraud, particularly digital arrest scams, and has directed the central government to develop a standard operating procedure to combat these crimes.
A 39-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru lost Rs 11.8 crore to fraudsters who impersonated police officials and claimed his Aadhaar card was being misused for money laundering. The victim was threatened with "digital arrest" and tricked into transferring money to various bank accounts over a period of time, believing his family would be arrested if he didn't comply. The fraud occurred between November 25 and December 12, and police have registered a case under the IT Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and cheating by impersonation. Further investigation is underway.
It said that when a retiree, who withdraws amounts in the range of Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000, suddenly withdraws huge amounts, then the bank should issue an alert.
The accused, who duped the woman of Rs 6.60 lakh during the ordeal between September 5 and 8, continued to send messages even after her death on September 8.
An 83-year-old Pune resident died of a heart attack after being defrauded of Rs 1.2 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam. Fraudsters posing as police and CBI personnel targeted the man and his wife, threatening them with arrest in a money laundering case.
The Supreme Court has restrained lower courts from releasing the accused in a digital arrest fraud case where a 72-year-old lawyer was duped of Rs 3.29 crore. The court expressed concern over the growing cybercrime and the targeting of elderly citizens.
President Droupadi Murmu addressed Indian Police Service probationers, highlighting the growing threat of 'digital arrest' scams and emphasizing the importance of ethical policing and public service.
The Haryana Police have launched 'Abhedya', a mobile application designed to curb cybercrime, extortion, and threatening calls. This initiative makes Haryana the first state in India to introduce such a measure, aiming to protect citizens from various forms of digital harassment.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Ayush Varshney, co-founder of Darwin Labs, in connection with the 200 million Gain Bitcoin cryptocurrency scam. Varshney was apprehended while attempting to flee the country.
Bengaluru police recovered Rs 14 lakh lost by BJP MP's wife in a cyber fraud through 'digital arrest'.
Targets should avoid panicking and hang up. 'Disconnecting stops the scammers from building psychological pressure.'
Kochi cyber police recovered over 1 crore stolen from an 81-year-old man through a 'digital arrest' online fraud. The police froze the funds in a bank account in Srinagar and returned the money to the victim.
Kolkata Police have dismantled a cyber fraud network operating illegal 'SIM box devices' to impersonate law enforcement officials, leading to the arrest of two individuals and the recovery of crucial equipment.
'Just like oral hygiene, cyber hygiene must become a daily habit,' says Beena Vaheed, executive director, Bank of Baroda. 'It is not enough to rely only on banks, companies, or the government. Each of us must play our part.'
In the month of May, the victim got a call from a person identifying himself as telecom department staffer Amit Kumar, who told her a SIM card had been bought with her personal details for use in criminal activities.
Gurugram Police have dismantled a nationwide cyber fraud network, arresting 10 individuals involved in scams that defrauded victims of Rs 40 crore.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Saumya Chaurasia, a former deputy secretary in the CMO, in two cases related to the alleged liquor scam that occurred during the previous Congress government.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Saumya Chaurasia, a former deputy secretary in the CMO, in two cases related to the alleged liquor scam being investigated by the ED and EOW.
Kota City Police have arrested an alleged mastermind of an inter-state employment racket accused of defrauding over 8,500 people by promising work-from-home opportunities.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police's Counter Intelligence Wing (CIK) has dismantled a sophisticated international cyber fraud racket, arresting seven individuals in Srinagar. The operation targeted victims in the USA, UK, and Canada, using advanced techniques to steal funds through deceptive online schemes.
UPI-related frauds have accounted for a cumulative loss of Rs 2,145 crore across 2.7 million reported incidents.
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