Man told about drugs in parcel issued 'digital arrest' threats loses Rs 40 lakh to cyber cheats

Mumbai, Jan 17 (PTI) A senior citizen from Mulund in north-east Mumbai lost Rs 40 lakh after cyber crooks used the 'drugs in parcel' modus operandi and issued 'digital arrest' threats, a police official said on Saturday.
The 70-year-old man, who lives alone while his two sons are settled in the United States, received a phone call in December from an unknown person claiming to represent a private courier company, the official said.
"The caller claimed a parcel booked in the victim's name using his Aadhaar details had been seized by customs authorities in Bangkok. Another person posing as a cyber cell officer told him drugs had been recovered from the parcel and the case was linked to an MLA," the official said.
Threatening him with 'digital arrest', the accused got him to reveal bank details and also forced him to transfer Rs 40 lakh, the official said.
"He was told he would get the money back after verification. A few days later, the accused claimed the inquiry was complete and promised to refund the amount after deducting 2 per cent as charges. However, the money was never returned, and the accused stopped responding to calls," the official said.
After the elderly man approached the local police and the Eastern Cyber Cell, an FIR was registered against four unidentified persons under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act.
Efforts are on to identify and nab those involved, he added.
Incidentally, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on January 15 informed the Supreme Court that it had formed a high-level committee to examine issues regarding digital arrest scam cases.
Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement, court officials or personnel from government agencies to intimidate victims through audio and video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money.
Earlier in December last year, the apex court had asked the CBI to carry out a unified pan-India probe into digital arrest scam cases. It had passed the directions in a suo motu case registered on the complaint of an elderly couple from Haryana.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)