IIT Delhi Student Hit By 'Digital Arrest' Scam; USD, Crypto To China, What Police Exposed And 5 Things To Shun
An IIT Delhi student was hit by a 'digital arrest' scam, losing over Rs 4 lakh. The complex fraud's massive nature was exposed by police revealing links to crypto, US dollars and even China.
Fear has become a dominant factor that is driving online scams and criminals are increasingly resorting to the so-called 'digital arrest' method to steal money from the unwary people online. A cyber fraudster recently tricked a fourth-year IIT Delhi student into believing he was under ‘digital arrest’ and he ended up losing a whopping Rs 4.33 lakh. However, things did not go down well even for the fraudster himself. Learn all about it and know 5 ways to save yourself from a digital arrest scam.
Digital Arrest Scam: A Fake Call, A False Threat
The scam began on November 16 last year when someone called the IIT Delhi student to say they were from a courier company, PTI revealed. The caller also claimed that a suspicious parcel was being sent to Beijing in his name from Mumbai. However, initially, the student refused to accept any involvement, but the fraudster then resorted to an even more astonishing trick - he then transferred the call to someone whom he referred to as a 'police officer' from the Gamdevi Police Station in Mumbai.
This, of course, was a classic scam tactic. And when the alleged 'police officer' accused the student of criminal activity, his resistance faded and he willingly did what was asked of him out of fear of consequences. The fake officer took things a step further and stated that a warrant had been issued in his name.
Unable to stand up to the threats, the panic-stricken student even began transferring money from his bank account online. This he did not just once, but on multiple occasions over a period through November 16 to 18.
When finally the panic had abated, the student realized he had been duped and he finally found the courage to take the matter to the police.
Money Trail Leads To Chennai Arrest
The police stepped in and soon made a breakthrough in the case and schooled the fraudsters about the errors of their ways. The money trail was followed by investigators and they discovered the fraudsters used a foreign number originating in Hong Kong.
Investigations also revealed that a part of the defrauded amount ended up in a Rajasthan bank. The account holder named Tejpal Sharma revealed that he had handed over his bank ATM card to a friend, who then changed the registered phone number linked to the account.
Further investigations finally led to the arrest of 29-year-old Madan Lal from Chennai last week.
In effect, Madan Lal's attempt to hide the money trail proved ineffective as police officers were able to follow it effectively. Madan Lal later revealed that he withdrew the money he cheated from people from ATMs, and then converted the same into US dollars and cryptocurrency.
But wait! That is not all. A China angle emerged too. Lal said he later sold the same to a Chinese national for a higher amount.
After the exposure of the foreign angle to this digital arrest scam, investigators are looking into all the related links.
How to save yourself from a digital arrest scam?
Do remember these points if you do get any call relating to you.
1. Police, banks, or any other government authorities do not make unsolicited calls.
2. Even if someone send documents alleging fraud on your part, do not believe or act on them
3. No matter what you are accused of by these official sounding people, never share your banking username and password with them. In fact, do not share them even with friends and family.
4. And most importantly, under no circumstances, especially under duress, should you transfer money to accounts someone told you to. No official person will ever ask you to do such a thing.
5. Do not let fear drive your actions at anytime including from people threatening you with consequences including imprisonment or alleging wrongdoing by you.
