A 58-year-old chief general manager of a government organization in Visakhapatnam was allegedly duped of more than Rs 30 lakh in a “digital arrest” scam, according to a media report.
According to The Times of India, the complaint was registered with the Visakhapatnam Cybercrime Police. The incident took place in the second week of March, when the victim received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number.
The caller allegedly posed as an official from the Anti-Terrorist Squad, followed by video calls from others claiming to be personnel from a Delhi police station.
The fraudsters allegedly told the victim that he was under investigation in a money laundering case linked to terrorism and threatened him with arrest under anti-terror laws if he failed to cooperate.
Police said the accused gained the victim’s trust and then asked him to share his Aadhaar details and other personal information. He was also allegedly instructed to isolate himself from his family and provide his bank details.
The victim was then allegedly coerced into transferring Rs 30 lakh under the pretext of a “confidential investigation” to prove his innocence. When the communication abruptly stopped, he realized he had been defrauded and approached the cybercrime police.
During the investigation, officials found that at least six similar cases had been reported in Visakhapatnam, with victims collectively losing about Rs 25 lakh. In those cases, fraudsters allegedly used similar tactics, including fake video calls and impersonation of officials from agencies such as the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities said no law enforcement agency conducts investigations through video calls or messaging platforms, nor do they demand money to establish innocence.
