Navi Mumbai: Senior Citizen Put Under Digital Arrest For 12 Days, Duped Of ₹21 Lakh

Navi Mumbai: A senior citizen residing in Navi Mumbai, Koparkhairane, was scammed by a cyber criminal posing as a police officer. This fake police officer put the victim under "digital arrest". Between August 8 and 19, the victim was duped of Rs 21 lakh after being threatened with legal action. The fake police officer claimed that she was involved in terror funding and hence needed to be put under "digital arrest".

Scammer Makes A Video Call

On August 5, as per the complainant, an unknown number made a video call to her, and the unknown person identified himself as Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil.

Victim Accused Of Terror Funding

He accused her of misusing her Aadhaar card by providing it to a person for opening an account in Canara Bank for terror funding. She was accused of accepting a Rs 20 lakh commission. The fake police officer claimed that her arrest warrant was issued, and a CBI inquiry had been initiated.

Victim Is Placed Under Digital Arrest

Until 19 August, the victim was placed under digital arrest. The fake police officer told her that to prevent legal action, according to The Times of India, she would have to pay Rs 21 lakh to a bank account provided by the imposter.

Victim Files Complaint

When the victim realised that she had been duped, she filed a complaint at the Koparkhairane police station on Tuesday, and an FIR for cheating under BNS sections was registered against the imposter and the person to whose bank account she was made to transfer Rs 21 lakh.

Scammer Impersonates Real Police Officer

The complainant should have realised that a cyber fraudster contacted her, as the imposter claimed to be Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil, who is Additional DGP (Anti-Corruption Bureau), Maharashtra.

Victim Transfers Money To Two Bank Accounts

Investigating officer, PSI Gajanan Takale, said that after the FIR, the probe revealed that the complainant was made to transfer money to two bank accounts in Rajasthan and Karnataka. The police have communicated with the concerned banks. They have frozen Rs 3 lakh in the bank account in Rajasthan. The accused withdrew money from the bank account in Karnataka before the police could freeze his bank account.