The North Cyber Police of Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a wholesale cloth trader from Delhi for allegedly defrauding a 56-year-old Chembur resident of Rs 12.80 crore by keeping him under a so-called "digital arrest" for 30 days. During investigation, police found that Rs 98 lakh of the defrauded amount had been transferred to the accused's bank account and later withdrawn.
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The arrested accused has been identified as 48-year-old Arvind Singh, a resident of Delhi.
According to officials from the North Cyber Police, the incident dates back to December last year, when the victim — a retired private sector employee — received a phone call from a man claiming to be a representative of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller informed the victim that his Aadhaar and mobile numbers had been misused to open fake bank accounts in five states, allegedly used for money laundering and drug trafficking.
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Before the victim could grasp the situation, he was connected via phone and WhatsApp video call to another man posing as a Crime Branch officer. The impersonator, dressed in police uniform, appeared on video and showed a forged arrest warrant issued in the victim’s name.
Under the pretext of an ongoing confidential investigation, the victim was placed under "digital arrest" and instructed to keep his phone camera on at all times. He was warned not to inform anyone about the matter. Over a span of 30 days, the cyber fraudsters coerced the victim into transferring a total of Rs 12.80 crore from a joint bank account he held with his mother to multiple bank accounts.
Following a complaint, the North Cyber Police launched a probe and traced the money trail across several bank accounts. This led to the arrest of Arvind Singh from Delhi. The cyber cell confirmed that Singh had not only allowed his bank account to be used for receiving the funds but was also actively involved in the cyber fraud.
Further investigation is underway to trace other members of the gang involved in the scam.