Retired railway officer loses 48L in digi-arrest

Kolkata: A 68-year-old retired railway official from Nagerbazar in Dum Dum lost Rs 48 lakh after falling victim to a digital arrest scam. Cops said, the fraudsters told him that his SIM card was used in a Delhi blast case and that Rs 8 lakh was credited to his bank account in connection with the crime.
According to the victim, the scam started on Feb 18, but, terrified by threats of a digital arrest, he approached the police only on Tuesday. "Claiming that an arrest warrant was issued in his name, the fraudsters threatened the victim that he must reach Delhi within an hour or Kolkata Police would arrest him and his family members. The cyber fraudsters also threatened him with arrest over a fabricated terror charge," said an officer of Barrackpore Commissionerate.The victim, a resident of MC Garden Road, lives with his wife, a schoolteacher, and their younger daughter, aged 15. His elder daughter is pursuing a course in cyber law at a university in England. The retired railway official said that he received a call from a person claiming to be a CBI officer. "The fraudsters further claimed that, based on ‘evidence' gathered during the investigation, a warrant was issued against me. A fake copy of the arrest warrant was also sent to me," the victim said in his complaint. "During a video call, the fraudsters showed me what appeared to be a police station setup, posing as CBI officials, and various fabricated documents to make the threat appear credible," he added.He was then told that, to avoid arrest, he would have to pay a ‘fine' by transferring all the money in his bank account. The scammers assured him that, after the completion of the probe and necessary clearance from the court and the Reserve Bank of India, the amount would be refunded after deducting a nominal penalty.