‘Digital arrest’ fraud on rise, 4 cases registered in Karnal

The cases of “digital arrest” are increasing in the region. “Digital arrest” is a new trend of cybercrime nowadays, in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officers or government officials to extort money from the victims online.

Four such cases have been registered in Karnal district so far, in which fraudsters introduced themselves either from the police or the CBI, or TRAI and made victims use online calls for hours and extorted money in lakhs.

Don’t share any info online: SP

• The Karnal police have launched a drive to educate people that no legal framework allows law enforcement agencies to conduct arrests via video calls or online surveillance
• SP Ganga Ram Punia urged the public to refrain from sharing personal information, especially with unknown persons, and to report any suspicious activity

In these cases, fraudsters used fear tactics, claiming that victims were involved in serious crimes, such as money laundering, drug trafficking or using fake documents for illegal activities. Under the pretext of resolving these fabricated charges, victims were forced into lengthy online calls and ultimately forced to transfer money.

On November 15, a man from Sector-7 filed a complaint with the police and alleged that he had been cheated of Rs 25 lakh. He received a call claiming his parcel was cancelled and that he needed to report to a Mumbai police station or online. During a Skype call with a fraudster impersonating a police officer, he was shown fake documents with Supreme Court seals and threatened with non-bailable charges if he failed to comply. Under fear, he transferred the money in multiple transactions, said the FIR.

In another case, a woman of Sector-4 Part-II said she received a call on September 7 and the caller told that her courier to China contained illegal objects and that an FIR for money laundering and drug dealing had been registered against her. The fraudsters, posing as CBI officials, forced her to join a Skype investigation and transfer Rs 10.8 lakh under the assurance of a refund post-investigation.

On September 10, a woman was contacted by someone claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). She was accused of having a mobile number issued on her Aadhaar card, linked to a money laundering case in Delhi. The fraudsters, posing as law enforcement officers, forced her to transfer Rs 4.91 lakh. She was assured that the money would be returned after the completion of the investigation.

In another case, a woman received a call from someone claiming to be from the Cyber Crime Department, accusing her of involvement in drug dealing and money laundering using her Aadhaar card. She transferred Rs1 lakh out of fear of arrest. However, no arrest has been made so far in these cases which have been registered in November and December month.