Pune Digital Arrest Fraud: 85-Year-Old Ex-Army Officer Loses ₹62.55 Lakh

In Pune, an 85-year-old ex-army officer was duped of over Rs 62.55 lakh through a digital arrest fraud. According to the police, the victim received a phone call on July 19 from someone claiming to represent a bank in Bandra. The caller told the victim that a credit card had been registered in his name and used for illegal activities.

Despite the victim's protestations that he did not have a credit card or make any transactions, the caller said he would connect the call to the Mumbai police. A person in a police uniform then spoke to the victim over a video call. The scammer falsely claimed that a terrorist had been arrested in a money laundering case and that the victim's credit card had been used.

They also sent a fake RBI letter via WhatsApp, stating that the police had authorization to check the victim's bank account details. The scammer told the victim, a senior citizen, that he could assist the police from home and provided a bank account number for transferring the money. From July 20 to July 23, the scammer induced the victim to transfer the substantial sum in multiple accounts.

After the money was transferred, the scammer told the victim that the police would inspect his accounts and return the money if found clean. However, the victim discovered when his money was not returned that he had been scammed. He subsequently lodged a complaint with the police.