A Bengaluru-based software engineer, Vijay (name changed), fell victim to a sophisticated digital arrest scam, losing a staggering 11.8 crore between November 25 and December 12. The fraud began when Vijay received calls from individuals impersonating Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials and police officers, who accused him of being linked to illegal activities through a SIM card registered in his name. The fraudsters claimed his Aadhaar had been misused for money laundering and threatened legal action if he failed to cooperate. Using fear tactics, they instructed him to keep the matter confidential and participate in a fabricated “virtual investigation.”
The scammers escalated their deception by making video calls via Skype, where one fraudster appeared dressed as a police officer. They claimed his Aadhaar was used by a businessman for fraudulent transactions worth ?6 crore and insisted the matter was under Supreme Court scrutiny. Leveraging the victim’s fear of legal consequences, they convinced him to transfer funds to accounts they provided, under the pretense of verifying his bank transactions as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. Over several weeks, Vijay made multiple transactions totaling 11.8 crore, believing the funds would be returned after verification.
Realizing the fraud when demands for more money persisted, Vijay approached the police on December 12. A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and sections related to cheating by impersonation. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities tracing the perpetrators, while the victim has refrained from further comments on the incident.