Cyber Crime Wing of Greater Chennai Police nabs four persons from Assam in ‘digital arrest’ fraud

The fraudsters call the victims over phone and pose as officials from the TRAI and the police. They claim that there is a pending arrest warrant against the victims and ask them to transfer money to a bank account, assuring them that it will be returned after the verification is completed

In a major operation, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) has arrested four men from Assam, who were part of a group of fraudsters that allegedly swindled money from people by threatening to ‘digitally arrest’ them while posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the police.

The police said a retired administrative officer of the Central Public Works Department of Thiruvanmiyur lodged a complaint stating that he received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number on September 3. The caller, who claimed to be a senior telecom officer of the TRAI, collected his credentials and transferred the call to persons who claimed to be the Mumbai police.

The victim was then informed that there was an arrest warrant pending against him. He was instructed to provide identity and address proofs. They then told him to visit Mumbai for an inquiry in connection with a money laundering case and obtained his family and banking details. They also made him remain on the WhatsApp video call till they completed the inquiry. They told the victim that his phone was being tracked and not to disclose the ‘digital arrest’ to anyone, citing national security as a reason. They directed him to liquidate all his ‘fixed deposits’ and transfer the money obtained to a bank account, which they claimed was of the Reserve Bank of India, and the amount would be returned after the verification process was completed. The victim transferred ₹88 lakh to the ICICI Bank account the suspects provided. After the call ended, the victim realised that he had been cheated.

The cyber crime police, analysing the bank account details, found that the money had been transferred to the bank account of Harshi Health Care Private Limited, Guwahati, Assam, owned by one Partha Pratim Bora, 38. The suspect had received ₹3.8 crore from eight transactions by defrauding others using the same method. He then transferred the amount to around 178 bank accounts in different States the same day.

Bora was arrested in Guwahati last month. Based on his confession, the police arrested Dhrubajyoti Mazumdar, 25, Swaraj Pradhan, 22, Prashant Giri, 21, and Pranjal Hazarika, 28. Interrogation found that the suspects worked as intermediaries for the group and helped coordinate the face-to-face agents, who were based out of places such as New Delhi, Kolkata, Kerala, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Goa, and holders of the bank accounts used to store the stolen amount temporarily. The group operated with thousands of agents from all over the world, the police said.

GCP Commissioner A. Arun advised the public to be wary of calls from those claiming to be the police or other officials, advertisements for high-profit investments, and fake investment apps and websites. He asked them not to transfer money to unknown bank accounts, and added that those who assist fraudsters by opening bank accounts would also be subject to legal action.

Published - December 04, 2024 01:05 am IST