Thane : Fraudster Duped Elderly Man For Rs 23.5 lakh In Digital Arrest Scam

Digital arrest cases are seen at rise in Mumbai and its suburbs. In yet another digital arrest scam elderly man got cheated for Rs 23.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters. Kalyan police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, Assistant Inspector Vinod Patil of Mahatma Phule police station said.

Elderly man said that accused connected with victim via WhatsApp video calls and claimed that his bank transactions were suspicious and linked to alleged irregularities. According to PTI officer said, The fraudsters told him that he could be placed under digital arrest, but assured him that they would help him avoid legal action if he cooperated. 

Accused repeatedly threatened a senior citizen and coerced him into making online money transfers totaling Rs 2.35 million. The fraud was discovered after the victim confided in acquaintances and subsequently reported the incident to the police upon realizing he had been deceived. Authorities are currently analyzing bank transaction details, call records, and digital evidence to locate the accused, according to Patil.

In Separate incident, cyber fraudsters allegedly stole ₹23.88 lakh from the bank account of a schoolteacher living in Kamothe by sending her a harmful APK file titled “RTO Challan” on her mobile phone. After the fraudulent withdrawal came to light, the Kamothe police registered a case against unidentified persons and began a detailed investigation. According to officials, the malicious file enabled the accused to gain unauthorised access to her banking details. The incident has once again highlighted the growing threat of cybercrime and the dangers posed by downloading unknown applications shared through messages or links on mobile devices.

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The victim, a 45-year-old teacher residing in Sector 34, Kamothe, and employed at a school in Kalamboli, had recently availed a bank loan of ₹24 lakh to renovate her flat. The loan amount was credited to her account on December 7. The very next day, while travelling to work, she noticed that her mobile network suddenly stopped functioning, disrupting calls, messages and internet access. Internet connectivity was restored later through Wi-Fi, and she replaced her SIM card the following day, unaware of the fraud unfolding.