A Digital Arrest Case in Ajmer made an Old Businessman and his wife lose 40 Lakhs
“Cybercriminals are targeting elderly people to initiate a fraudulent digital arrest scam and loot a huge amount of ransom to release the victim.”
A cybercriminal posing as a police officer from Mumbai’s Colaba police station is accused of defrauding a businessman and his spouse of Rs 40 lakh and digitally arresting them for four days in Ajmer.
He accused the couple of serious crimes, including defrauding them, trafficking drugs, and money laundering. The pair, who live in Saraswati Nagar, Dholabhata, and are known as Elvis Michal (59) and his wife, Peggy Michal (57), filed a lawsuit on Wednesday.
Police
| 1. The complaining couple claimed that on July 15, they got a video call.
2. The caller, who was wearing a police uniform, identified himself as an officer from the Colaba police station in Mumbai when he called Peggy’s cell phone. 3. According to the complaint, he said that a serious investigation had been launched against them and told them to cooperate, not to speak to anyone, and to stay inside their house until the investigation was finished. 4. The caller identified himself as an officer from the National Crime Records Bureau’s cybercrime branch and said they were looking into a money laundering case when they called the couple again from a different number. 5. After asking them questions, the caller advised them to save themselves by making an online deposit of Rs 14 lakh for a land purchase. 6. In addition, he requested details regarding their fixed deposits. 7. The callers got in touch with the couple once more on July 18 and requested that they send the Rs 26 lakh fixed deposit funds to the number they had given. 8. The couple’s account was used to transfer a total of Rs 40 lakh. |
The complaint
| “We were threatened; if we did not cooperate during the investigation, the Mumbai police would come and arrest us, as they had a lot of evidence against us.” |
What did the complainants do?
On July 23, after speaking to acquaintances, the couple went to the police station and filed an FIR.
Chotu Singh, ASI, Cyber Police Station
| “We have registered a case. Primarily, this is an organized crime that is under investigation. We have taken the account numbers to which the money was transferred, and also the mobile numbers. We appeal to people to remain alert against such callers.” |
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