Kolkata: A 61-year-old Sinthee resident has alleged that he was duped of over Rs 61.8 lakh in a digital arrest scam in which fraudsters, posing as cops from Mumbai, coerced him into liquidating his assets and transferring the money under the pretext of a terror funding probe. The man lodged a complaint stating that he received a phone call on April 1 from a person claiming to be from Colaba Police Station.. The caller allegedly told him that his Aadhaar number had been used to open a bank account at a nationalised bank that was linked to terror funding activities.According to the complaint, the caller shared a purported statement of the account via WhatsApp, along with several documents bearing what appeared to be govt insignia, to lend credibility to the claim.“The man alleged that he was then subjected to sustained pressure and intimidation, with the fraudsters warning of imminent arrest unless he cooperated with the fake investigation,” said a senior officer of Kolkata police.The accused allegedly instructed him to sell the shares that he held and transfer the funds to accounts they claimed were linked to the RBI. He complied and transferred Rs 61,80,200.The fraudsters maintained contact through multiple phone and video calls, using at least two mobile numbers. Only after four days did he realise he had been deceived.
