Ahmedabad: Retired BHU professor loses Rs 16L in ‘digital arrest’ scam

Ahmedabad: A 73-year-old retired professor who formerly taught at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and now lives at a senior citizen care centre in Ahmedabad allegedly lost Rs 16.2 lakh after cyberfraudsters posing as police and ATS officers subjected him to a prolonged “digital arrest” through WhatsApp video calls.According to an FIR registered with the Cybercrime police on Saturday, the fraud began on Aug 29 when the victim received a call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as an officer from the Banaras police headquarters and claimed that a mobile number linked to the professor’s Aadhaar had been used to open an ICICI Bank account through which crores of rupees in illegal transactions had allegedly been routed.The caller also accused him of involvement in child pornography and illegal gambling and claimed that a criminal case had been registered against him. The victim, who had earlier lived in Banaras, told the caller that neither the mobile number nor the bank account belonged to him. He was allegedly informed that the matter would be investigated by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).Soon afterwards, another caller posing as an ATS inspector contacted him through WhatsApp video calls. The fraudster allegedly told him that ATS personnel would remain in constant touch with him and instructed him not to disclose the matter to anyone.According to the complaint, the fraudsters threatened to arrest him but later offered to conduct the investigation through video calls because of his age. The complainant alleged that he was kept under continuous WhatsApp surveillance and asked to share details and statements of his bank accounts, which he subsequently provided.On Sept 1, the fraudsters allegedly told him that the money in his bank accounts had to be verified by the Reserve Bank of India as part of the investigation. He was instructed to transfer funds to an ICICI Bank account belonging to a trader.The victim allegedly transferred Rs 11 lakh from his Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda accounts. The next day, he was asked to transfer another Rs 5.2 lakh to a Yes Bank account.The callers allegedly assured him that the money had been deposited with the RBI for verification and would be returned once the investigation was completed. They also sent him what they claimed was an RBI receipt through WhatsApp.On Sept 9, the fraudsters allegedly informed him that the investigation had been completed and shared a purported NIA no-objection certificate. The retired professor realised he had been duped only after the callers stopped responding. He then informed his wife and son, contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and approached the Cybercrime branch with a complaint.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in AhmedabadStay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news. Download the TOI App.