Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Cybercriminals in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur allegedly posed as Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials and extorted a 70-year-old retired MP Electricity Board officer of ₹30 lakh.
According to information, the fraudsters kept the victim into a ‘digital arrest’ for 3 days. The incident began on December 1, when Avinash Chandra Diwan, a resident of Shastri Bridge area under Madan Mahal police station, received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number.
First, a woman spoke to him, and then another man introduced himself as an officer of the Anti-Terrorist Squad.
He told Diwan that his bank accounts were being used for terror funding, involving crores of rupees. They added that all his property would be seized. He also claimed that Diwan and his family could be arrested.
Accused sent fake notices
To scare him further, the fraudsters sent fake notices on WhatsApp in the name of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other departments.
They also sent a fake digital arrest warrant and even showed a fake control room through video call to make the setup look real.
FAKE Cetificate |
FAKE Cetificate |
Under fear, Diwan followed all their instructions. The fraudsters forced him to keep his WhatsApp video call on continuously till December 5, claiming they were ‘monitoring’ him.
They did not allow him to switch off his phone or talk to anyone. He remained under constant mental pressure for 3 days.
During this time, the criminals demanded money to ‘settle the case.’ Terrified, Diwan transferred over ₹30 lakh to several bank accounts given by them. Still, the scammers continued to threaten him.
Probe begins
Finally, Diwan told his family about the situation. On their advice, he approached the police and submitted a written complaint. The Cyber Cell has now begun investigating the case and is analyzing technical details to trace the accused.
Madan Mahal police station in-charge Sangeeta Singh said the fraudsters had sent more than 15 fake notices in the name of NIA and RBI.
The documents appeared so authentic that anyone could be misled. She confirmed that more than ₹30 lakh was transferred into multiple accounts, and steps are being taken to put a hold on the transactions.
A case has been registered and efforts are on to identify and arrest the culprits.
Sangeeta Singh further appealed to the public not to fall for such scams. She urged people to never trust threatening calls, links, or notices, and to immediately report such matters to the police or the cyber helpline 1930.
Police officials said they expect the case to be solved soon.
(Inputs from FP News Service)
