Forced to take ‘oath of secrecy’ on camera: Elderly couple lose Rs 2.58 crore in digital arrest fraud

Over the next 10 to 12 days, the couple were forced into making huge transfers to mule accounts and were told that the money would be returned immediately after the probe was over.

Over a period of two weeks ending February 26, the 75-year-old husband who is retired from a private company in Mumbai and his 72-year-old wife were subjected to online coercion in which fraudsters accused them of having links to the ‘Naresh Goyal’ case misusing the name of the fraudulently taking the name of the Jet Airways founder who has faced investigations by various agencies.

The fraudsters forced them to transfer Rs 2.58 crore in 23 large transactions to mule accounts claiming their money was being sent to the Reserve Bank of India for verification.

Initially, the husband received a video call from someone wearing a police uniform seated in a police station setting.

He identified himself as ‘Inspector Pradeep Sawant of Mumbai Crime Branch.’ The fraudster told the victim that his name had been flagged in the ‘Rs 500 crore Naresh Goyal case.’ On pretext of investigating the phoney case, the fraudster manipulated the victim into sharing all his and his wife’s personal and financial information including savings, land holdings, gold possessions, investments etc.

The couple were told that they both were under investigation and that they had been placed under ‘surveillance and digital arrest.’
Officials have repeatedly expressed concern that despite extensive awareness campaigns and sensitisation efforts by the government and law enforcement agencies, incidents of digital arrest, online extortion and blackmail continue to be reported.

These scams are typically carried out by cyber criminals impersonating officials from law enforcement agencies such as the police, CBI, Narcotics Department, RBI, and Enforcement Directorate and judges.

Express has reported these scams are orchestrated by complex, multilayered syndicates operating across borders.

Victims’ money is often funneled into mule accounts and then routed to international cybercrime networks through cryptocurrency channels.