Retired surgeon loses Rs 1.6 crore in year-long digital arrest scam

BENGALURU: Incredible, but true. A 70-year-old retired surgeon is the latest victim of a digital arrest scam, losing over Rs 1.6 crore in a year. The year-long struggle of Dr. Rajesh (name changed) came to an end after the Noida police in UP arrested one of the accused and learnt about Rajesh through the financial transactions the latter had with the accused. The Noida cops tried to contact the doctor but he did not answer their calls, prompting them to alert the Bengaluru City Police. Even after Bengaluru police tried calling him several times, Rajesh did not respond. Later, the cops visited his house and informed him about the situation, but he denied knowing anything about the digital arrest scam. The cops then contacted his family and convinced the victim to register a complaint. However, he is yet to approach the police, said a senior police officer. The officer added that after the cops approached him, the victim called the fake police, who had digitally arrested him earlier, and asked what he should do. The accused had created extreme fear in the victim. Just imagine what he has been going through for the past year, the officer said. The victim lives in the city with his wife, while his two children live abroad. A preliminary probe revealed that he was arrested whenever the cyber fraudsters required money and extorted him for a year. Yet Rajesh didnt want to share the details and bank records with the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime-2) Raja Imam Kasim P told TNIE that the police have asked the victim to file a complaint. However, the victim is yet to come forward and is not sharing details of his loss. Police or any special agency never arrest people online. Police can arrest an accused physically only after issuing a notice and explaining him the grounds of arrest. If anyone receives a call claiming an online/digital arrest, they should not share any personal detail, hang up the video call and contact their local police, Kasim said. Anyone who falls prey to a digital arrest scam should immediately call 1930, which helps the police to freeze the transferred amount. The younger generation must educate their parents and family members about online scams, as senior citizens are increasingly falling victim to such fraud, he added.