Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 29: The Cyber Police arrested three individuals involved in a “digital arrest” scam that defrauded a senior citizen of Rs 21 lakh, police said here today.
Addressing a press conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Imtiyaz Hussain, said the arrested fraudsters impersonated officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to coerce the victim into transferring funds.
“The victim was accused of being involved in money laundering involving Rs 6.8 crores; they coerced him through various means and made him pay the huge amount,” the SSP said.
The police stated that the scammers issued fabricated arrest warrants and penalties to intimidate the victim. Through psychological manipulation, they labeled the conversations a “national secret.”
“They instructed the victim to lock his house, avoid communication with others, and falsely assured him of a refund within hours,” the police said.
Under this pressure, according to the police, the victim prematurely closed his fixed deposits and transferred Rs 21 lakh into a fraudulent HDFC Bank account.
Upon receiving the complaint, the SSP said, an FIR No. 26/2024 was registered, and Cyber Police Kashmir launched a swift investigation.
Using advanced technical tools, the police identified the culprits and dispatched teams to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab.
The operation led to the arrests of Gaurav Kumar, a resident of Shamli, Uttar Pradesh; Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Patiala, Punjab; and Ujjawal Chauhan, also a resident of Patiala, Punjab.
During the raids, the police seized 4 mobile phones, a MacBook, 13 SIM cards, 24 debit cards, 20 cheque books, 10 passbooks, and other incriminating materials.
“Pertinently, Rs 4.13 lakhs has been released into the account of the complainant,” the police said.
The accused face multiple charges, including fraud, conspiracy, and coercion. “Further investigation is ongoing to uncover other conspirators and dismantle the larger network behind this scam,” the police said.
The SSP, emphasizing the importance of awareness, clarified that nothing like a “digital arrest” exists and stressed the need to educate family members, particularly senior citizens, about such scams.
The police advised citizens to exercise extreme caution when sharing sensitive financial information.
“Legitimate Government agencies will never conduct investigations or arrests via video calls, demand payments, or request sensitive data over the phone,” the police said.
They also urged the public to always verify the identity of callers claiming to represent official authorities and to report suspicious activities to the nearest Cyber Police station or cybercrime helpline immediately.
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