Kolkata: Kolkata Police anti-cybercrime sleuths have successfully orchestrated a significant financial recovery after an 83-year-old resident of Baghbazar fell victim to a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam earlier this month, the first of the eight reported in April so far.In a swift operation involving the Cyber Crime Branch of the detective department and the North Division, cops managed to restore Rs 30.5 lakh of the Rs 39 lakh extorted from the elderly man. The case was registered at Shyampukur PS on April 7.The ordeal began on April 5 when the octogenarian received a WhatsApp call from “Ravi Kumar”, a purported officer with the CBI. During the subsequent video call, the fraudsters alleged that the victim’s name had emerged in a high-profile money laundering investigation. By utilising fabricated legal documents and maintaining a stern, authoritative demeanour, the criminals placed the victim under “digital arrest”, a tactic designed to isolate and terrify the subject into compliance. Under the crushing weight of fear and mental distress, the senior citizen was instructed to transfer his entire life savings to a private corporate account for what was described as “official verification” to avoid immediate physical incarceration.Compelled by the threats, the victim visited his bank and transferred Rs 39 lakh via RTGS. It was only several hours after the transaction that the deception became apparent, prompting a formal complaint at Shyampukur PS. The detectives tracked the funds through multiple layers of digital transactions.The case has served as a catalyst for a stern advisory regarding the specific lapses in judgement that allowed the fraud to succeed.
