Hyderabad man loses Rs 5.26 lakh in fake arrest warrant fraud
The victim received a call from an individual posing as a TRAI officer. He was asked to deposit Rs 5,26,546 to avoid in money laundering case.;
HYDERABAD: A 54-year-old private employee from Hyderabad lost over Rs 5.26 lakh in a fake arrest warrant fraud.
The victim received a call from an individual posing as a TRAI officer. The caller claimed that the Lucknow police station had issued an arrest warrant against him. The caller further threatened that the victim’s mobile SIM would be deactivated within two hours.
The victim was then connected via video call to someone posing as a sub-inspector from Alamgagh Police Station. This individual, dressed in a police uniform, began interrogating the victim, alleging that a SIM card had been purchased using his AADHAR card. That bank accounts had been opened in HDFC, ICICI, and SBI Banks under his name. The fraudster claimed these accounts involved money laundering activities amounting to crores of rupees.
The impostor informed the victim that failure to appear in Lucknow immediately would result in his arrest for 90 days of interrogation. During the call, the fraudsters extracted personal and family details from the victim. They sent him a WhatsApp message containing a fake arrest warrant purportedly issued by the Directorate of Enforcement, complete with a rubber stamp of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow.
To avoid arrest, the fraudsters demanded the victim deposit Rs. 5,26,546 into accounts purportedly belonging to the enforcement and IT departments for surveillance. The victim complied and received a notarised receipt for the amount.
Later, he realised he had been duped and approached the police, seeking necessary action against the scammers.
Police have issued an advisory asking the general public to stay cautious against such frauds. If a call raises suspicions, individuals should end the call immediately and report to the nearest police station without engaging further. People should be aware of FedEx/courier fraud and other similar scams. Scammers often use psychological tactics to manipulate emotions and decision-making. Therefore, people should never deposit money into unknown bank accounts based on the promises of strangers. Law enforcement officials do not initiate contact through Skype calls or demand money transfers to resolve issues.
Anyone who becomes a victim of cyber financial fraud should report it immediately by dialling the Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930 or by visiting cybercrime.gov.in.