Mumbai: Police have arrested a 49-year-old man for allegedly facilitating a “digital arrest” scam in which a 63-year-old woman was duped of Rs 91 lakh, officials said.
The accused, identified as Karan Suresh Kansaria, is suspected to have provided bank accounts used by the fraudsters to route the money. Investigators said part of the defrauded amount was traced to his account.
According to police, the victim, a retired resident of Dahisar, was targeted in February after receiving a call from a person posing as a police officer from Bengaluru. She was allegedly told that her bank account was linked to a Rs 3 crore money laundering case.
To make the claims appear credible, the fraudsters conducted video calls and staged scenes resembling police custody. They also invoked the name of encounter specialist Daya Nayak to create fear and urgency.
Over several days, the woman was allegedly pressured into sharing details about her finances, assets and family. She was also sent forged documents bearing official-looking seals and warned not to disclose the matter.
Under threat of arrest, she was instructed to liquidate her savings and transfer the funds to “secure” accounts for investigation. Acting on these directions, she broke her fixed deposits and transferred Rs 91 lakh, including about Rs 85 lakh from FDs.
The fraud came to light on March 15 after her daughter learned of the incident and advised her to approach the police, noting that such investigations are not conducted online.
Following an investigation led by Inspector Sunil Lokhande, police traced part of the money trail to Kansaria. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to sharing his bank details with the fraud network in exchange for a commission.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the racket.
