Ahmedabad builder loses ₹1 crore in 'digital arrest' scam

Ahmedabad builder loses ₹1 crore in 'digital arrest' scam
21 Nov 2024

A builder from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was duped of ₹1 crore in a cyber scam in which fraudsters posed as law enforcement officers and conducted a "digital arrest."

The victim has since filed a complaint with the local cyber crime cell.

The elaborate scheme started on July 3 when the builder received a phone call from a person claiming to represent Mumbai's Andheri FedEx courier company.

Scammers impersonate NCB officer, demand online statement
Scam details

The caller told the builder that a parcel addressed to him had 550gm of MD drugs and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had filed a complaint against him.

The call was then transferred to another person posing as an NCB officer who demanded an online statement from the builder.

During a Skype video call, the builder saw someone apparently in a police station, introducing himself as Police Inspector Pradeep Sawant.

Builder transfers ₹1.05 crore under duress
Money transfer

The impersonator, posing as Sawant, demanded the builder to admit to suspicious transactions linked to his bank account.

The builder was then threatened with investigations by multiple agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), NCB, and Mumbai cyber crime cell.

Under duress, he transferred ₹1.05 crore online to avoid the alleged charges with a promise from the scammers that this money would be returned within 10 days.

Scammers use information about recent land deal
Scam tactics

To win the builder's trust, the scammers mentioned detailed information about a recent ₹50 crore land deal he had completed in Mumbai.

However, after transferring the money, there was no further communication from the scammers.

Realizing he had been defrauded, the builder approached the Ahmedabad cyber crime cell five months later to file a complaint.

The case is currently under investigation by local authorities.