Fake ACP Scam: Kanpur CA Scammed Rs 2.60 Lakh in Digital Fraud

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A Chartered Accountant in Kanpur was defrauded of Rs 2.60 lakh over three days by an individual impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Delhi Cyber Crime unit.

Digital Arrest Scam: How a Fake ACP Scammed a Kanpur CA Out of Rs 2.60 Lakh

A Chartered Accountant in Kanpur was defrauded of Rs 2.60 lakh over three days by an individual impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Delhi Cyber Crime unit, who subjected the victim to persistent threats of legal action and financial demands. The scam escalated when the fraudster made a direct call to the victim while he was inside the Police Commissioner’s office, leading to the initiation of technical surveillance by cybercrime authorities.

Prolonged Psychological Manipulation Over Three Days

The scammer’s initial contact with the victim, Prashant Kumar, occurred around 9 pm on 25 July. The caller claimed to be ACP Pramod Kumar Rathore of the Delhi Cyber Crime unit’s Karol Bagh division, alleging the victim was involved in a fabricated obscenity-related case. The scammer’s approach was designed to overwhelm the victim with continuous pressure, leaving no room for verification. Over the following days, Kumar was instructed to transfer funds in multiple installments, ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 21,000, through UPI accounts and QR codes. This method of distributing payments is a common tactic in digital fraud schemes, as it avoids triggering banking alerts by keeping individual transactions below detection thresholds. The total amount transferred across all transactions reached Rs 2.60 lakh.

Kumar’s doubts about the legitimacy of the demands grew as the pressure intensified, with no resolution to the fabricated case. The scammer’s persistent threats of arrest and the lack of any tangible legal process left the victim in a state of heightened anxiety.

Critical Evidence from a Live Call During Police Interaction

The situation took a pivotal turn when Kumar sought assistance from the Police Commissioner. During this interaction, the fraudster placed a live call to the victim, claiming to be in Etawah for the investigation and demanding Rs 20,000 for accommodation expenses. The Police Commissioner personally listened to the call, which provided investigators with crucial evidence. In response, Kumar informed the scammer that he was traveling to a bank to withdraw cash, buying time for the cybercrime unit to initiate technical surveillance.

Following the call, investigators collected extensive digital evidence, including chat records, transaction logs, and other data spanning nearly twenty pages. The audacity of the fraudster in continuing the scam while the victim was in a police office suggests a well-organized network, potentially operating multiple cases simultaneously.

Network of Fraud Linked to Previous Cybercrime Operations

Kanpur Police have previously arrested five individuals in a Rs 57 lakh digital fraud case targeting a retired government official. Investigators have identified that such scams typically involve coordinated roles, including call handlers, identity fabricators, and account managers for receiving funds. Authorities are currently examining whether the network responsible for Kumar’s case is connected to similar operations in Uttar Pradesh.

Legal and Procedural Irregularities in the Scam

The entire scheme relies on a false premise that has no basis in Indian legal procedures. No law enforcement agency, including the CBI or Enforcement Directorate, conducts investigations via phone calls, issues digital arrests, or demands payments to resolve cases. The Supreme Court of India explicitly addressed this issue in October 2024, labeling digital arrests as a form of organized crime and urging state governments to take coordinated action.

Despite these warnings, the scam persists due to its exploitation of fear and misinformation. The use of legal jargon, impersonated authority figures, and fabricated case details creates a scenario that many individuals, including professionals, struggle to dismiss. The inclusion of obscenity charges in Kumar’s case added a layer of personal embarrassment, discouraging prompt reporting.

Expert Guidance on Identifying and Responding to Scams

Prof. Triveni Singh, a cybercrime expert and former IPS officer, emphasized that the first step in such cases is to disconnect from the call immediately and report the incident to local police, the National Cyber Helpline at 1930, or the cybercrime.gov.in portal. He reiterated that no legitimate agency would ever request payment over a phone call, and any such demand should be treated as a fraud.

The case underscores the growing threat of digital fraud and the need for public awareness to recognize and counter such schemes effectively.

“No legitimate agency would ever request payment over a phone call, and any such demand should be treated as a fraud.” – Prof. Triveni Singh