‘Digital Arrest’ Scam: Mumbai Woman Forced to Undress, Scammed of ₹1.7 Lakh
'Digital Arrest’ Scam: Mumbai Woman Forced to Undress, Scammed of ₹1.7 Lakh
In a shocking incident involving digital arrest, a 26-year-old woman in Mumbai was coerced into undressing during a video call and scammed out of ₹ 1.7 lakh by fraudsters who claimed her name was linked to a money laundering investigation, according to the police.
The woman, residing in Borivali East and employed at a pharmaceutical company, stated in her complaint that the scammers phoned her on November 19, posing as Delhi Police officials. They informed her that her name had surfaced during their probe into a money laundering case associated with Naresh Goyal, the founder-chairman of Jet Airways, who is currently incarcerated.
The scammers threatened the woman with arrest, transitioning the conversation to a video call where they informed her she was under ‘digital arrest’. They instructed her to book a hotel room for further questioning.
After checking into the hotel, the scammers demanded she transfer ₹ 1,78,000 to validate her bank account details. Additionally, they compelled her to undress during the video call, claiming it was necessary for body verification. The woman complied with the scammer’s demands and transferred the money.
After realizing she had been scammed, the woman approached the police and filed a complaint on November 28. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit and the Information Technology Act, and an investigation is ongoing.
This isn’t the first time fraudsters have exploited Naresh Goyal’s name; previously, they duped Shri Paul Oswal, the chairman and managing director of the textile giant Vardhman Group, out of ₹ 7 crore. In that incident as well, the elderly businessman was informed that he was under ‘digital arrest’.
What is Digital Arrest?
“Digital arrest” is a new type of scam where fraudsters claim that the victim is under “digital” or “virtual” arrest and must stay on a video or audio call with them. They instruct the victim not to inform anyone about this “arrest,” insisting that the surveillance continues until money is transferred to their accounts. Police have issued warnings that “digital arrest” is not real, but the increasing number of cases indicates that many people are still unaware. Initially, older adults, who may lack tech knowledge, were the main targets, but recently, scammers have begun to target younger individuals as well.
