2 held for putting ex-bank employee under 'digital arrest', extorting over Rs 1 cr

"The cyber fraudsters impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials and falsely accused him of being involved in a Rs 6.80-crore money laundering case in Maharashtra,” the Meerut Police spokesperson said.

Meerut: The Meerut Police have arrested two people from Delhi for allegedly defrauding a retired bank employee and his wife of Rs 1.73 crore by putting them under "digital arrest" for five days, officials said Thursday.

A 'digital arrest' involves cybercriminals using deception and fear to control a victim's digital communication and movement to extract money or information.

According to a Meerut Police spokesperson, the incident began on September 17, when the victim, Suraj Prakash, Pandav Nagar resident, received a phone call.

"The cyber fraudsters impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials and falsely accused him of being involved in a Rs 6.80-crore money laundering case in Maharashtra,” the spokesperson said.

They threatened him with imprisonment and manipulated him and his wife for over five days, during which they transferred Rs 1.73 crore to various bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters, the spokesperson said.

An FIR was lodged at the cybercrime police station in Meerut under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.

As the investigation progressed, a team from the cybercrime police station was sent to Delhi to investigate the case.

"During their probe, they identified Pankaj Vishwakarma and Sukhpreet Singh Bajaj as the key suspects,” the official said.

“The two men allegedly lured account holders into opening bank accounts in their names, which they then used to launder the stolen funds. Vishwakarma and Bajaj were subsequently arrested from West Delhi," the official added.

The police spokesperson said a total of eight persons have been arrested so far in connection with this case.

Investigations revealed that Rs 8.74 lakh of the defrauded money was withdrawn from eight ATMs in Dubai. Bajaj, one of the accused, has ties to Dubai, where he frequently visited his two sisters, the official said.

The police said they are currently investigating these connections thoroughly.

In their modus operandi, the accused would lure individuals into opening bank accounts under false pretences, which were then used to defraud others, the police said.

The police are intensifying their efforts to curb cybercrimes in the district and are continuing their investigation into the involvement of international links in the fraud.

Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police (UP Cyber Crime headquarters) Shwetabh Pandey said people need to be cautious of emerging online crimes and reach out to the police at the earliest.

"When faced with such issues, people can report the matter at central helpline number 1930 or at cyber dost website or at their local police stations immediately," Pandey added.