Rs 42 lakh digital arrest fraud: Delhi cyber cell nabs three fraudsters for duping elderly

New Delhi, Oct 7 In a major crackdown on the cyber fraudsters, the Cyber cell of Delhi Police Crime Branch apprehended three accused for cheating an elderly citizen, also a retired government employee, of Rs 42 lakh on Tuesday, said an official.

The cyber cell also unearthed the money trail used by cyber criminals to divert the money through multiple channels to escape the clutches of law.

The senior citizen was cheated of nearly Rs 42.49 lakhs through digital arrest, and the cyber cell managed to trace Rs 8.49 lakhs, being siphoned off to multiple bank accounts.

The arrest exposes the deep nexus of organised cyber fraud and disrupted crucial financial pipelines misused to cheat citizens. The accused had provided his current bank account to interstate cyber syndicates, thereby facilitating the diversion and laundering of victims’ funds through multiple channels.

The 80-year-old victim, a retired government employee, had received fraudulent calls from certain WhatsApp numbers, where the callers falsely claimed to be officials from ED/CBI. The fraudsters claimed that they had evidence of wrongful financial transactions in his name and threatened him with consequences.

The elderly citizen was coerced into submitting clarification letters and personal details. As he was kept on continuous call, they extorted his personal information and drained him of his life savings.

The accused, during interrogation, revealed that he provided his current bank account to the syndicate in exchange for consideration of Rs 10,000 per account.

The account of the key accused, named Mahendra, was used as a channel for money laundering.

During interrogation, he also admitted to being a professional “account provider” for organised cyber syndicates. He had handed over cheque books, ATM cards, SIM cards, and internet banking credentials to handlers.

His account played a pivotal role in receiving, layering, and circulating fraud proceeds across the country, thereby shielding the handlers and masterminds of the cyber syndicate.

--IANS

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