A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light in which a 31-year-old man from Parel was duped of lakhs of rupees by fraudsters posing as cybercrime officials. The accused trapped the victim by falsely claiming that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) were investigating him for financial irregularities. The fraudsters held the victim in a "digital arrest" for over eight hours. Based on the complaint, the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg Police have registered a case under fraud and the Information Technology Act, and further investigations are underway.
On March 2, at around 9 AM, the victim received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and informed him that his mobile number was about to be blocked due to its alleged involvement in cyber fraud. Alarmed, the victim denied any wrongdoing. The caller then advised him to speak with cyber police officials regarding the matter.
Soon after, an imposter posing as a cybercrime officer contacted him via a video call. The fraudster, dressed in a police uniform, demanded the victim’s Aadhaar card and accused him of being involved in financial fraud, including a case under the ED’s purview. The fake officer further stated that both the CBI and RBI were investigating him.
To make the scam appear authentic, the fraudsters even sent him official-looking documents claiming that a case had been registered against him. They threatened him with immediate arrest unless he paid a certain percentage of the alleged fraud amount. Out of fear, the victim transferred ₹2,51,934 to a bank account provided by the scammers.
He was kept under "digital arrest" until 7 PM that day, during which the fraudsters continuously instructed him not to inform anyone. Later, when he confided in a friend, he was advised to file a police complaint. Upon realizing he had been scammed, the victim approached the police.
Based on his complaint, a case has been registered, and police are tracing the bank account to identify the fraudsters. Investigations are ongoing.