Kolkata: A 70-year-old resident of Naktala lost Rs 7 lakh in a digital arrest scam. Kolkata Police launched an investigation to track the culprits and froze the recipient bank accounts. The scam came to light when the senior citizen appeared distressed in his home, prompting his son to inquire about his health and well-being.Upon sharing the details with his family, the victim realized he had been swindled by fraudsters and discovered that all his contact numbers had been disconnected.The fraud began on July 18 and continued for around 6 days when the victim received calls from four separate numbers. The callers falsely identified themselves as senior officers of the Delhi Police. They informed the victim that his name was implicated in an illegal money laundering probe and threatened that the case would be handed over to the CBI if he failed to comply.
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Fearing arrest and legal action, the complainant paid Rs 7,04,000 through multiple transactions to bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Shortly after the final transaction was completed, the perpetrators severed all communication. The victim’s son helped him file a police complaint.A case has been booked under sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation using computer resources) of the IT Act, 2000.Cops have also invoked sections of the BNS, 2023, including provisions for criminal conspiracy, extortion, cheating and forgery.
