Ahmedabad: A 75-year-old retired resident of Sarkhej has alleged that fraudsters posing as telecom and cybercrime officials kept him under “digital arrest” for several days and duped them of Rs 1.4 crore by threatening him with arrest in a fake criminal case. According to a complaint filed with Cybercrime police on Friday, on April 2, the man received a call from someone claiming to be a senior adviser with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The caller told him that a mobile number registered in his name in Mumbai was being used to send obscene videos to women and make calls, and warned him that he would be treated as a criminal unless the issue was resolved immediately.He was also told that a bank account was operating in his name in Mumbai. The complainant said he denied ownership of the number and asked that it be blocked. He was then allegedly made to submit a declaration stating that he had no connection with a bank account purportedly opened in his name in Mumbai, which the caller claimed was linked to a money-laundering case. Soon after, another man posing as a Mumbai cybercrime investigation officer contacted him through a WhatsApp video call, the complaint said.The caller did not show his face and instead displayed a police logo while claiming that the complainant’s Aadhaar card had been used to register the Mumbai number and that his ATM card had been used in money laundering. The fraudsters allegedly sent forged FIR papers, a fake arrest order and fabricated court communication, while repeatedly threatening the complainant, saying all his accounts would be frozen and that he would be jailed. The complainant said he and his wife were forced to remain available on video calls for long hours and were asked to reveal details of their investments and bank balances.After the couple liquidated their shareholdings, the accused allegedly instructed them to transfer the money to what they described as a “public fund bank account” for verification. The complainant said he was told the amount would be returned within 48 to 72 hours after Supreme Court completed its scrutiny. Believing the claims, he transferred Rs 1.43 crore through RTGS to a private bank account provided by the fraudsters. When communication stopped, the family approached the bank and later contacted the cybercrime helpline.
