Beed: In a cyber fraud case, a retired bank cashier from Parli was duped of Rs23.42 lakh after fraudsters placed him under a fake “digital arrest”. The victim, identified as Suryakant Munde, was intimidated with forged notices purportedly from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and threats of involvement in money laundering.
The ordeal began on Mar 5, when Munde received a call from an unidentified individual claiming to be a high-ranking official. The scammer alleged that Munde was a primary suspect in a money laundering case. To make the threat appear legitimate, the fraudsters sent a forged notice bearing the official seal of the RBI.
He was told that he was under “digital arrest”, meaning he was forbidden from leaving his house or contacting anyone until the “investigation” was complete.
Over a period of nearly two weeks, from Mar 5 to Mar 18, the scammers coerced Munde into transferring money into various bank accounts under the pretext of “security deposits” or “legal clearance fees”. Terrified of legal consequences, Munde ended up transferring a total of Rs 23,42,000.
The fraud came to light only when the scammers continued to demand more money. Facing financial exhaustion, Munde finally confided in his family members, who realised he was being targeted by cyber criminals.
A formal complaint has been lodged at the Beed Cyber Police Station. Officials have initiated an investigation and are currently tracking the bank accounts and digital footprints used by the perpetrators.
“Digital arrest” is not a legal term or a valid police procedure. Law enforcement agencies like the CBI, ED, or police never arrest people via video call or demand money, police said.
