A Noida-based family became the latest victim of a stunning case of digital fraud when they lost over ₹1 crore after being “digitally arrested” for five days by scammers who impersonated government officials. This case has brought into light the rapidly evolving nature of cyber crimes in India.
The fraud began on February 1 when Chandrabhan Paliwal received a call from an unknown number, threatening that his SIM card would be blocked and he should call the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Within minutes, a person introducing himself as an IPS officer told him that he belonged to Kolava Police Station in Mumbai video-called Paliwal, charging him with extortion and money laundering. The impersonator claimed 24 cases had been filed against him and that the CBI was probing.”
The fraudsters also resorted to targeting Paliwal’s wife and daughter, subjecting them to similar online bullying. The family was forced to make a transfer of ₹1.10 crore to the fraudsters over five days on the threat of being arrested by the ‘CBI officer’.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Preeti Yadav said the callers resorted to using fear tactics by masquerading as officials of agencies like the CBI and customs. They even referred to false international parcels containing banned substances to increase the pressure.
The police have booked a case and are inquiring about the incident. This is just to caution that digital scams can be dangerous and one must be alert while using the Internet as the scams are constantly changing.
