‘Digital arrest’ scam: Lucknow doctor duped of Rs 2.8 crore by fraudsters posing as CBI, TRAI officers

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 15 (ANI): The Lucknow cyber crime branch registered a complaint on Wednesday after a doctor was duped of Rs 2.8 crores by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officers.

The victim, identified as Ruchika Tandon, was posted at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow and was kept under ‘digital arrest’ by the fraudsters for six days by involving her name in a fake money laundering case. The money was transferred to seven accounts in those six days.

After realising that she was being scammed, the victim filed an FIR with the Lucknow cyber crime branch. After this, a case was registered, and the police have been investigating the matter.

Speaking to ANI, Raveena Tyagi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central, said, “On the complaint of the victim, a case has been registered in the cyber crime police station. She has been duped of about Rs 2.8 crore by threatening digital arrest. This fraud has been done by introducing themselves as officers of TRAI and CBI. In this, a case has been registered immediately and further action will be taken soon.”

Speaking on the matter of how to be safe from such incidents, Tyagi said, “I want to appeal to the public that if you receive a call from any unknown number and such a threat is found, please inform the nearest police station. Any kind of digital arrest is not valid, such a thing does not happen, so please be aware and stay safe.”