Pune: Cybercrooks Impersonate Senior Officers, Conduct ‘Digital Arrests’ To Extort Money
Pune: Cybercrooks Impersonate Senior Officers, Conduct 'Digital Arrests' To Extort Money
The Pune cyber police have uncovered a disturbing trend where cybercriminals, posing as senior officers from state or central investigative agencies, have been not only cheating their victims but also subjecting them to ‘digital arrests’. Over the past two months, there have been at least four such incidents where victims were coerced into staying on video calls for up to three days.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber), Vikrant Deshmukh, described the situation as “very strange”. He noted that victims followed the fraudsters’ instructions meticulously, even asking for permission to use the washroom. This bizarre trend has been particularly prevalent in parcel fraud cases, where the suspects impersonate officers from agencies like the Mumbai Crime Branch, CBI, CID, or Uttar Pradesh Police.
The perpetrators create fake arrest warrants or summonses related to fabricated money laundering cases and send these documents to the victims via messaging apps. They then order the victims to remain in front of their cameras, instilling fear and stress. In some instances, the fraudsters even set up mock police stations using video call applications to make the threats seem more real.
Deshmukh explained that under immense stress, victims often agree to pay money to settle the fictitious cases. The fraudsters provide bank account details and instruct victims to transfer amounts ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, depending on the victim’s financial status. After receiving the money, the criminals continue to threaten the victims with ‘digital arrests’ if they leave the screen.
Since January, the Pune city police have received 90 complaints related to parcel frauds, with four cases involving ‘digital arrests’. Investigations have revealed that the fraudsters are operating from various locations, including Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. They use the bank accounts of impoverished individuals as money mules, quickly transferring or withdrawing the extorted funds.
The Pune cyber police are actively investigating these cases and working to track down the culprits behind these sophisticated and distressing scams.
