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Software engineer duped of ₹1.35L by online fraudsters – ET CISO
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In a shocking case of cyber fraud, an Indore-based software engineer was held under ‘digital arrest’ for three days by cybercriminals posing as officials who duped him of Rs 1.35 lakh. The scammers coerced the victim into transferring money through threats and fake accusations, keeping him under constant surveillance.
The matter came to light on Thursday after the victim, Mohit Maurya’s friend, Ashwin Tiwari, contacted police officials. He stopped receiving calls from Maurya and received a cryptic message stating that he was under digital arrest. Tiwari informed the officer that Maurya had written to him about being under ‘digital arrest’ and was afraid to speak aloud as his conversations were being monitored.
Crime branch additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya traced the victim’s location to his home in the Aerodrome area. Upon reaching, they found Maurya on a video call with the scammers. The officer spoke to the criminals, who immediately ended the call upon realising they were speaking to the police.
The Indore police commissioner announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the main suspect, whose images were captured during the interaction. The victim, Mohit, a software engineer at TCS, told police that he received an automated call on Monday claiming to be from DHL Courier Services. The caller alleged that a suspicious item in Mohit’s parcel bound for Thailand was flagged at the airport. He was instructed to press ‘1’ for more information.
Upon following the instructions, Mohit was connected to another individual posing as a courier service representative. The scammer claimed the parcel was intercepted due to illegal activity and transferred the call to a supposed Delhi cyber police officer. The fraudster, impersonating a Delhi police official, accused Mohit of being linked to money laundering and other illegal activities through multiple bank accounts associated with his Aadhaar card. To avoid legal consequences and potential arrest, Mohit was coerced into revealing his bank details and transferring funds for verification purposes.Under the pretext of verification, Mohit was instructed to take an online loan and transfer Rs 1 lakh to the account. Later, Rs 35,000 was further extorted under the guise of bail money to avoid imprisonment. In all, Mohit lost Rs 1.35 lakh to the scammers. The criminals also instructed Maurya to find a hotel room for ‘investigation’. Although he searched for a room, he could not secure one, returning to his home, where he remained under their control via Skype video calls.
Mohit’s friend intervened and contacted the Crime Branch for assistance while he was in digital arrest. A complaint has since been registered on the NCRP portal, and an investigation is underway. Police said that citizens with relevant information are urged to contact the Indore Police Cyber Helpline at 7049124445.
