An elderly man was allegedly kept under a prolonged “digital arrest” by cybercriminals who threatened him with legal action and forced him to transfer Rs 3.76 crore. The Gandhinagar Cyber Centre of Excellence has now arrested three people in connection with the case, while the alleged mastermind remains absconding.
The accused have been identified as Gopal Ram Puna and Nenkidina Amir Kathiar, both from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and Deepak Mahavirsingh Kundu from Haryana.
How the scam worked
According to the police investigation, the fraud involved multiple layers used to move and hide the stolen money.
One part of the network allegedly used fake bank accounts opened in the name of a partnership firm. These accounts were used to receive and transfer money obtained from victims.
Investigators also found that an accused based in Chandigarh allegedly converted the fraud proceeds into USDT, a cryptocurrency, using a mobile application. The cryptocurrency was then transferred to other members of the network in return for commissions.
Police also uncovered another alleged method used by the absconding mastermind. Money obtained through digital arrest scams was deposited into the bank accounts of people looking for loans. The victims were approached through a fake finance company called “NEO FINANACE”.
The account holders were allegedly instructed to install the Pushbullet app on their phones. Police suspect the app was then used to gain access to the devices.
During the investigation, police recovered four mobile phones and identified seven bank accounts allegedly linked to more than 29 cyber fraud cases across different states. Transactions worth over Rs 83.11 lakh were directly traced through these accounts.
The investigation is continuing, and police are searching for the alleged mastermind and others involved in the network.
Reader’s Note
A genuine police officer, government agency or court will not conduct an arrest over a video call or ask you to transfer money to prove your innocence.
If someone claims that your Aadhaar, bank account, SIM card or identity has been linked to a crime and threatens you with arrest, disconnect the call immediately. Do not share OTPs, PINs, passwords or banking details, and do not transfer money to any account or cryptocurrency wallet.
If you have already transferred money, contact your bank immediately and report the incident to 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, or through the government’s cybercrime reporting portal.
