Chandigarh: 2 People Arrested For Over ₹77 Lakh "Digital Arrest" Scam

In a "digital arrest" scam, 2 people were arrested for a scam of over Rs 77 lakh. The Cybercrime police of Chandigarh nabbed the accused who defrauded a city resident.

Who Are The Accused?

The accused were identified as Sajid Ahmed Patel, 30, from Maharashtra, and Shayeed Rafiq Mullah, 37.

How Was The Victim Defrauded?

On July 10, according to the complaint, the victim received a call from a fraudster posing as a crime branch official, who alleged her Aadhaar Card had been misused in a money laundering case linked to Jet Airways CEO Naresh Goyal. The caller, along with accomplices posing as police officers, intimidated her with fake arrest warrants and forged Supreme Court orders over WhatsApp calls. Fearing arrest and threats to her family, she transferred Rs 77,42,420 via four RTGS transactions from her accounts in Canara Bank, PNB, SBI, and HDFC.

Which Items Did The Police Recover?

According to The TribuneIndia, "Investigation revealed the role of Sajid and Shayeed in the case. Raids were conducted, and both of them were arrested. Multiple mobile phones, bank cards, Aadhaar and PAN cards were recovered. The police also secured a lien amount of Rs 20,16,300 in related accounts."

Amount Of Money In Accused's Bank Accounts?

The police have secured Rs 20,16,300 in the accused bank accounts.

Which Other Items Were Recovered?

According to The Indian Express, "Through bank KYC and telecom data, the police traced the trail, identifying Patel's role. SIM cards, SBI ATM card and Vivo mobile phone were recovered."

Based on his disclosure, police arrested Shayeed Mullah and recovered two Samsung Fold 5 phones, an Oppo phone, Aadhaar and PAN cards, a Federal Bank ATM card, and a driving licence.

What Is A Digital Arrest Scam?

A digital arrest scam is a scam done digitally through WhatsApp, Video calls and other digital methods and intimidating the victim by blaming him for various illegal activities and tempting him or her to transfer money with the temptation of dropping these cases.