Kolkata: A 69-year-old retired senior executive of a public sector steel major from New Town lost Rs 49 lakh after fraudsters impersonating CBI officers kept him under "digital arrest" over video calls, and threatened him with arrest in a fabricated criminal case. The crooks accused him of having links with Sadakat Khan, an accused arrested last year in connection with an international human trafficking racket operating out of Cambodia and linked to global cybercrime syndicates.
The victim, a former general manager, approached the Bidhannagar cyber crime police station on Saturday, stating he was virtually confined to his home through repeated WhatsApp video calls between Jan 14 and Jan 16. The callers, using multiple mobile numbers, claimed to be CBI and ED officials.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters told him that a bank account was opened in his name at a nationalised bank in Mumbai and was allegedly operated by Khan. He was accused of receiving illicit funds, misusing his PAN card and abetting criminal activities. To lend credibility to the threats, the callers shared forged court documents, including a fake arrest warrant.
The intimidation escalated when the victim received a fabricated notice issued by the ED, again alleging his involvement with Khan. Soon after, callers posing as officials of the ED and the RBI informed him that he was placed under "digital arrest" and warned that he faced imminent imprisonment unless he complied with their instructions.
"They informed me that to settle this case they needed to check my account balance. On Jan 16, they informed me I needed to deposit Rs 50 lakh within two hours, else my life would be at stake. I got scared and withdrew my money. I did not even inform my wife and made the payment," the victim said.
He was assured that the amount would be returned within 30 minutes after verification. When the money did not come back, he grew suspicious and contacted a friend, who alerted him that he was duped.
Despite repeated awareness campaigns, incidents of "digital arrest", online extortion and blackmail continue to be reported. "Many such scams are operated by cross-border syndicates that route stolen money through multiple mule accounts within India before siphoning it abroad to hubs in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, often using cryptocurrency to mask the trail," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar city police.