Video Alert Helps Mulund Man Foil ₹12 Lakh 'Digital Arrest' Scam

Mumbai: A retired Shipping Corporation of India employee, Mahesh Anantrao Salvi, 69, learned he had fallen victim to a cyber scam after watching a video warning about cybercriminals impersonating senior police officers and trapping victims in digital arrests. Salvi, a resident of Mulund, was allegedly intimidated for days by callers posing as police officials, including Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) representatives.

The perpetrators claimed Salvi's Canara Bank debit card had been used for large transactions and that a SIM card registered in his name was used for illegal activities. They sent him official-looking documents and threatened arrest, death, and the seizure of his property and relatives' possessions if he disclosed the matter. Salvi was instructed to remain under video surveillance and only leave his home with the callers' permission.

Eventually, he withdrew Rs 12 lakh and transferred it to a bank account provided by the callers. The deception was uncovered when Salvi's wife watched the video warning about similar scams. The East Region Cyber Police registered a case against the unidentified callers, beneficiaries, and alleged operators of the bank accounts under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Police are investigating the matter further.