Hyderabad: 80-year-old retired govt employee lose Rs 38L in digital arrest scam

Hyderabad: An 80-year-old retired government employee lost Rs 38 lakh in a well-orchestrated ‘digital arrest’ scam. Criminals impersonated CBI officials to dupe the senior citizen.

Call from fake officials sparks suspicion

The victim reported to Rachakonda Cybercrime authorities that on July 24, he received a phone call from a man claiming to be Sandeep Rao from the Department of Telecommunications. The call was then transferred to another individual who introduced himself as Daya Nayak, initially posing as a police officer and subsequently as a CBI officer.

False accusations of Aadhaar misuse

The fraudsters falsely claimed the victim’s Aadhaar details had been misused by a criminal named Sadakat Khan, involved in human trafficking and cybercrimes across Southeast Asia. To lend credibility, they sent forged documents featuring logos of the Supreme Court of India, Delhi Police, CBI, and Karnataka Police, warning of an imminent arrest warrant against the victim.

Victim pressured to transfer large sum

Under the guise of verifying bank accounts for illegal activity, the scammers directed the victim to transfer money to an account described as being for “assessment by the Registrar of the Supreme Court.”

They assured him he would later give a statement via video call before a Supreme Court judge. Fearing arrest and legal action, the victim disclosed his bank balances and transferred Rs 38 lakh.

Police registration and ongoing investigation

A formal complaint has been filed with cybercrime authorities, and a case has been registered. Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant against such impersonation fraud and verify official communications independently before acting.