Gurugram resident duped of Rs 10 lakh by cyber thugs after 'digital arrest'

Gurugram, Jul 31 (PTI) A resident here fell victim to a cyber fraud, losing Rs 10 lakh, after he was held under 'digital house arrest' by fraudsters, police said on Wednesday.
    The accused, posing as officers of the Mumbai Crime Branch, threatened the victim, claiming that his phone number and Aadhaar card were being used for money laundering, the police said.
     Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes in order to scam them. The offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology.
    According to the complaint filed by Ajay Singh Rathore, a resident of South City Phase 2 here, he recently received a call from someone claiming to be from FedEx Courier Company.
    The caller told Rathore that there was a parcel booked in his name containing illegal goods and then transferred the call to the Mumbai Crime Branch, the complainant stated.
    Later, the fraudsters, pretending to be Mumbai Crime Branch officers, interrogated Rathore via a Skype video call, he added.
    "During the call, I was told that if I want to avoid arrest, I would have to get my bank account verified. For this, I will have to transfer Rs 10 lakh, which would be returned after verification. I transferred Rs 10 lakh but when the money was not returned, I realised that I had been duped and reported the incident to the police," Rathore said in the complaint.
    Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime, East Police Station here.
    Investigations are underway and the accused will be arrested soon, a senior cyber police officer said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)