'CBI officer' puts 85-year-old Mumbai resident under 'digital arrest', dupes him of Rs 20 lakh

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A cyber fraudster impersonated a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer and defrauded an elderly man of Rs 20 lakh by threatening to put him under 'digital arrest'. The South Cyber Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.

The complainant is an 85-year-old Girgaum resident who runs an automobile spare parts business. According to the police, the complainant received a video call in April on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an officer of CBI from Delhi and alleged that someone had misused the complainant's Aadhaar Card to open a bank account.

He further claimed that Rs 5,000 crore had been deposited in this account and that the account was being used in money laundering activities.

To further intimidate the complainant, the fraudster sent a fabricated CBI letter via WhatsApp. He asked the senior citizen to remain confidential about the developments and said that he had been put under digital arrest.

Later, the fraudster called again, and shared a fake letter from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He demanded the complainant to transfer funds to multiple bank accounts as part of the investigation process.

Frightened by the accusations and the threats, the complainant transferred Rs 20 lakh to the accounts mentioned by the caller. The fraudster then instructed him to provide updates every two hours. Feeling distressed, the complainant eventually shared the incident with his relatives, who realised that he had been duped.

The complainant then reported the matter to South Cyber Police this week, following which a case under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including the Information Technology (IT) Act. The police are investigating the case further.