A retired soldier from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh was cheated of Rs 98 lakh after fraudsters kept him “digital arrest” for 15 days, officials said on Friday.
The victim was threatened by fraudsters posing as officials of the CBI, RBI and the court. They claimed he was involved in a money laundering case and even used fake video calls to show fabricated court proceedings, officials said.
Police said the retired soldier was kept under “digital arrest” from December 15 to December 30.
An FIR has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Central Division, Mandi, and the cyber police are now collecting facts related to the case, according to an official spokesperson said.
As per the complaint, unknown persons contacted the complainant through phone and video calls, introducing themselves as officials from the Department of Telecommunications, CBI, RBI and the court.
The fraudsters falsely told him that a fake SIM card had been issued in his name and that he was linked to a money laundering case. They repeatedly accused the ex-serviceman of money laundering and allegedly kept him under digital arrest for 15 days, police said.
During this period, the fraudsters staged fake court hearings through video calls and mentally harassed the ex-serviceman, forcing him to transfer money to different bank accounts.
In one such fake hearing, an alleged judge ordered the complainant to deposit his property and money with the court through specified bank accounts. The complainant transferred money to several accounts provided by the fraudsters, suffering a total loss of around Rs 98 lakh.
It is alleged that the fraudsters threatened him with a fake arrest warrant and warned that if he spoke to anyone about the matter, he would face a jail term of five to seven years.
The cyber criminals also forced him to delete call records, messages and other digital evidence from his mobile phone.
Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Rohit Malpani urged the public to stay alert against such calls, video calls or WhatsApp messages and advised people not to share bank details, OTPs or personal information. He also asked citizens to report suspicious calls to the nearest police station or the cyber helpline immediately.
Also Read: Hold Panchayat polls by April 30: HC to Himachal govt
Follow us
